"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."
(Heb 11:6-8 KJV)
Fear can easily coerce us into doing absolutely nothing or running in the opposite direction. Yet, Noah and Abraham, as well as many others who trusted God before us, moved forward. They did what God asked of them because they trusted Him.
Believing an unseen God and building an ark so that he and his family might live was a major change in Noah's life. It may have seemed foolish to the world around him. But, the results proved that it was not.
Abraham left his birth family; his home country, to be led by God through the wilderness to a land promised to him and his descendants was a major undertaking. It all rested on his trust in God.
Moses, too, believed the words of God and led the Israelites out of captivity to journey to a promised land. The journey was long and hard, made harder by the many trust issues along the way among the Israelites. Moses actually never got to enter that promised land; but, he was able to lead the people of God to it because he trusted in the Lord and followed Him.
Hardships are encountered daily by the human race. There are wars and rumors of wars. There are natural disasters and diseases that threaten to take us down. But, fear should never be allowed to keep us from moving forward to receive the promises of God. If fear can do anything positive, it should move us to hear the word of the Lord and listen attentively to it so that we might know the way in which to go.
Faith overcomes fear of things that might stand in our way of moving forward. Remember, the promises of the Lord and keep in mind what St. Paul wrote to the Romans: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28) Walk in faith. God has a good purpose for you. Do not let the fear that permeates the world around you stop you from receiving the good plans He has for you.
God's Peace - Pr. J.
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