Finding God's Truth In The Storms Of LifeIhe Atụ

#### Finding Strength in the Lord Fear is nothing to laugh at or take lightly. It has kept powerful people from great accomplishments. It has stopped armies in their tracks. And it will try to stop you, too, if you let it. But we have something greater than fear--God. That knowledge should keep us from being defeated by fear, but often it doesn't. Even though we are Christians, we still give in to fear all the time. And our surrender to fear shows that we don't really understand the power of our God. Today's passage from Psalm 46 gives us a dramatic picture of faith destroying fear. The psalmist says that because God is his help, he will not fear--not even if the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea! That's incredible! If you've ever been to the mountains, you can probably imagine how scared you would be if they began collapsing around you. But the psalmist isn't saying the collapse of mountains isn't scary. He's saying his faith is stronger than his fear. Fear tells us we are alone, that we have to face trials and struggles on our own. It reminds us of our weakness. It points us to our own failures. But faith points us to God. It reassures us we are never alone--God is always on our side! And faith shows us our weakness is just an opportunity to showcase God's strength. Life is full of problems and joy. Frederick Beuchner once said, "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." And he was right! We don't have to be afraid. We have a God who has overcome the world. Prayer: Dear God, thank you for Your power over everything I face. Help me to have a faith bigger than my fear. Use my weakness to demonstrate Your strength. Thank you that Your love for me never fails. Amen.