Trust God, Love People: A 5-Day Reading Planনমুনা

Remembering: An Antidote for Fear

“But don’t be afraid of them! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt. Remember the great terrors the Lord your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will use this same power against all the people you fear.” Deuteronomy 7:18-19

Moses offers an antidote for fear = remembering. Three times in this passage in Deuteronomy, he instructs the Israelites to fight fear, to stand against anxiety, and to remain steadfast in their faith by remembering God’s faithfulness in their past. Although you and I find ourselves in different circumstances than the context of this passage, we too can resist fear by looking back at God’s faithfulness in our lives and remembering.

I have an ongoing note on my phone where I jot down verses that I can refer back to when fear creeps in. Most often, fear rears its ugly head in my life when I am in an airplane high above the clouds. I love (love, love) to travel. I do not love to fly. I fight against fear every time I step foot on an airplane. In those moments, I pull out my familiar tools: the verses specifically speaking to fear that I’ve recorded over the years, the list of places I’ve visited via airplane (His faithfulness in the past), and a liturgy for those anxious about air travel. The act of reciting truth through scripture, remembering His faithfulness in my past and praying for the present moment all work to slow my racing heart, settle my ragged breath and calm my anxious spirit.

I know that when I’m flying through the air, trapped in a metal tube, with zero control over my circumstances, I depend wholly and completely on Him. I cling to Jesus in those moments. I cry out to him in desperation, and He meets me with peace and assurance and reminders of His past faithfulness. In my everyday life, I don’t often ache for Him. I run from commitment to commitment. I meet pressing deadlines. I answer the constant onslaught of communication via text and email. I worry over details. I forget to rest.

Maybe this is why He set within me a deep yearning for adventure. Maybe this is why He keeps leading me back to faraway lands, only accessible by an airplane. For it’s in that plane – the place where I’m most uncomfortable and afraid, where I feel most frail and incapable – that I am most acutely aware of His presence. And, in the way that only God can do, He uses all things for our good and His glory. He redeems my moments of fear and meager offerings of faith to remind me that He is near. That He is faithful. That I can trust Him. That He has called me by name and I am His.

As we wrap up these five days together, I encourage you to take some time this morning to remember. Jot down the times in your past where God has been faithful. This act of recording and remembering is a vital spiritual practice and can serve you as you walk forward in faith. There will undoubtedly be obstacles ahead, including moments of anxiety, and this list of God’s faithfulness in your past will serve as a lifeline when fear threatens to overwhelm. In those moments, take a deep breath and read back through your record of God’s faithfulness. Do not fear - remember, remember, remember.