Fear is so powerful.  When we are afraid, we tend to do things that we normally would not do.  We lose sight of what we are really supposed to do.  There are so many types of fears and phobias, but I believe that the fear of the unknown is the most frightening.  We are afraid of failure and what that failure will hold for our future.  But, I think the worst thing about fear is that when we begin to lose sight of our goals and what we are called to do, we do not turn towards God and trust God to lead us in the right direction.  Instead, we turn to ourselves.  This happens in the church often.  We are afraid of running out of money, that the people will not give their time and talents, and so on.  Putting trust in God in lieu of our fear is very difficult.  However, the alternative and the consequences of letting our fear control our actions can be devastating.

In 1 Samuel 13:1-14, Saul is now the King of Israel.  But, something goes wrong and the people are afraid.  The Philistines come at the people of Israel with “thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore…and the Israelites hid themselves in caves and in holes, and in rocks and in tombs, and in cisterns” (1 Samuel 13:5-7).  Saul called for Samuel to help him, but Samuel did not come at the appointed time.  Let’s face it!  Who would not be afraid?  So, Saul took matters into his own hands.  When Samuel finally showed up, he told Saul what a fool he was and now God has found favor with someone else to rule over Israel.

In our fear, we lose sight of God’s calling for us and take matters into our own hands.  It is the hardest thing in the world to give God the steering wheel and lead us into God’s will, instead of our own will.  What might you be trying to control in your life today?  Trust God and let go of your fear!  The consequences of God in control will be overwhelming!

Let us pray…Gracious God, help us to let go of our fear and put our trust in you.  Help us to know that when we are working in your Name, you are always for us and not against us.  Help us to be patient to hear where you want us to go next.  We love you so much.  Amen.