You Don't Have To Be Afraid.

On a day where our nation is literally waiting with bated breath for what comes next, I was struck by two of my favorite scriptures. The first is “Be still and know that I’m God. I will be exalted in all of the nations. I will be exalted in all of the earth.” (Psalm 46:10) I know that many of us have been filled with fear, worry, anxiety and palpable stress about the outcome of today. Those feelings have only been exacerbated by the political ads and pundits that have filled the airways for what seems like years. It’s become harder and harder to watch family shows or movies because they’re always interrupted with some smear campaign against a candidate spewing vile accusations that I’m not ready for my 6 year old to hear and that I don’t have the words to explain. It’s been a long journey, yet, in the midst of the chaos, God invites us to simply “Be Still.”

I can hear God whispering, “I know you’re afraid, but an election doesn’t change who I am. I know you’re worried about what’s going to happen next but I’m still high and lifted up and sitting on the throne. What comes next may surprise you, but I’m still omniscient and omnipresent and I will make all things work together for your good. I’m still your rock and salvation. So you don’t have to fear. I’m still your refuge so you don’t have to be afraid.”

Fear. It’s an awful thing to live afraid. Living in fear of the unknown, the fear of what may be, the fear of what must be. Being afraid is natural. It’s a part of this journey we call life. God knew that we would wrestle with it. That’s why He spoke so much about it. I’ve learned though, there’s only one antidote to fear and that’s Jesus, which leads me to my second favorite verse.

The Bible tells us that if we keep our minds on Jesus, He will keep us in perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3) But the key is that you have to trust in Him. Days like today can cause us to assess in whom and where our trust lies.

As I was typing this, God reminded me that we’ve talked about the importance of being still and not being afraid earlier this summer, and in fact, I used the same passage from Psalm 46. We also focused on the importance of self-examination and assessing where our trust lies. When I see recurring themes and scriptures like that, I often wonder what God is up to. What is God trying to tell me or prepare me for? Whatever it is, the answer is still the same: Jesus. I don’t know what lies ahead, but I know He does. I also know that He doesn’t allow me to face anything that I’m not already prepared to overcome and that He’s willing and able to help me through it.

What will today bring? I don’t know, but I know the moon and the stars will take their place in the sky tonight and the sun will rise in the morning, and the God that’s in control of it all, will still be God. So I don’t have to be overcome by fear because my trust is in Him.