Fearful and Faithful

READ

Generations of Israelites spent their lives roaming through the barren wilderness, yearning for the fruitful land God vowed would one day be theirs. Yet even after forty years in the desert, their greatest challenge still lay ahead. As they stood on the precipice of the Promised Land, they faced not only the looming death of their beloved leader, but the threat of hostile armies. Needless to say, they were overwhelmed with panic and crippled by fear. 

Moses, knowing that the end of his life was near, decided to give a farewell address to the people. He sought to encourage and embolden his community—especially his soon-to-be-successor, Joshua—as they embarked on the perilous journey ahead. In the midst of their anxiety, He faithfully reminded them to trust in God’s power and presence, rather than allowing their emotions to overcome them. 

Let’s take a moment to read Deuteronomy 31:6: 

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. 

REFLECT

As someone who’s spent the majority of their life struggling with debilitating anxiety, this verse has irked me—no, enraged me—for years. Taken at face value, it seems as though God (speaking here through Moses) completely invalidates the Israelites’ feelings. Though they have every reason to be afraid, He appears to dismiss their feelings and imply that they could simply “turn off” their anxiety as easily as one could flip a light switch. 

This verse has been grossly misinterpreted and misapplied. Our compassionate, loving God doesn’t expect us to “fix” our feelings through sheer willpower. He knows that we cannot simply force our hard emotions to disappear. 

Hear this: anxiety is not a failure of faith. Our experience of anxiety is a consequence of living in a broken, fallen world. But though we don’t always have a say over whether or not we feel fear, we do get a say in whether or not we allow it to control and consume us. 

In the Bible, semantics are critical for correct interpretation. Moses didn’t urge the Israelites to feel strong and courageous. He didn’t tell them to avoid feeling afraid. Instead, he commanded Joshua and the people to be strong and courageous. His charge was clear: “Do not be afraid.” 

There is a big difference between feeling our emotions and allowing ourselves to be controlled by them. Feeling afraid, anxious, or weak is not a sin in and of itself. We go wrong when we allow our fear to overcome and define us. We fall short when we follow our feelings more than we follow God's loving guidance. 

In his speech, Moses reminds Joshua and the Israelites that they can be strong and courageous—even when they feel the opposite—because God had personally gone before them and won their battles. We can find strength in the same Truth today. Through the cross, God secured our victory. The empty tomb serves as proof that no power of sin or darkness will ever overcome us. When our emotions lie to us and tell us that defeat and devastation are inevitable, we can remember God’s guarantee: He will never fail us. 

When God feels far away and our anxiety feels all-consuming, we must remember that our emotions do not always align with our spiritual reality. God has promised us that He will never abandon us. This Truth enables us to be strong and courageous, even when we feel weak and cowardly. Because of His empowering promise, we don’t have to be afraid—we can feel afraid and obey Him anyway. 

God doesn’t expect us to feel courageous all the time. Instead, He calls us to step out in faith and follow Him, even when our emotions make it difficult to trust Him. 

The good news is that our courage is not a fleeting feeling. Our courage is not something we have to muster or manufacture on our own. Our strength is found in a Person, One Who is sovereign over every circumstance. 

RESPOND

Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read. 

• Is there an area of your life where you need to allow yourself to feel fear, without being controlled and defined by it? 

• How does God’s promise—that He will never fail or abandon you—give you the courage to trust Him over your emotions?

REST

Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying: 

Heavenly Father, thank You for never failing me or abandoning me in my distress. Thank You for reminding me that though I have permission to feel anxiety, it does not have to control me. Thank You for going before me and fighting my battles, so that I can face my fears with confidence that I will not be overcome. Help me to trust in You and the victory You’ve secured for me. Let me feel my fear, and choose to follow You anyway. I love you, and I thank You for Your Son. Amen.

Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.