2025 Lent Devotional – Day 32

Lent Devotional: Day 32
From Fear To Courage by Faith!
Rev. John R. A. Simeon

It is said that during his years as premier of the former Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev denounced many of the policies and atrocities of Joseph Stalin. Once, as he censured Stalin in a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a shout from a heckler in the audience. “You were one of Stalin’s colleagues. Why didn’t you stop him?” “Who said that?” roared Khrushchev. An agonizing silence followed as nobody in the room dared move a muscle. Then Khrushchev replied quietly, “Now you know why.”

We all go through the emotion of fear. For most of us fear is not extreme or irrational but real.

Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. And it evokes one of the three responses, freeze, flight or fight but faith evokes boldness, calmness and purposefulness.

The disciples of Jesus also experienced fear. On one occasion when Jesus and his disciples in a boat were amid a storm, the disciples were afraid, and Jesus woken up from his sleep calmed the storm (Matt 8:23-27) On the night that Jesus was betrayed all his disciples displayed fear. Peter tried to fight but most of them fled in the end, Peter too succumbed to fear and denied the Lord.

Fear of failure, fear of the future, fear of lack of money, fear of death and countless other fears can paralyse us or make us withdraw from society and avoid people or it can make us aggressive people. Fear influences us to make wrong assessment of our circumstances and make us respond negatively.

But God does not want us to live in fear. The antidote for fear is faith. As Dr. E Stanley Jones that great Methodist Evangelists said, “I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath–these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely–these are my native air.”

The faith chapter, Hebrews eleven speaks of ordinary and broken people who did extraordinary things for God by faith. They were people who didn’t feel adequate or good, people like Moses a stutterer, Joseph who was a spoiled brat, Rahab who was a prostitute to begin with, and David was just a shepherd boy.

Faith is both a fruit of the Spirit and a spiritual gift. It is placed there by God Himself, not by our efforts. At the same time, we can be intentional about developing faith. Paul in his epistle to the Romans says, Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Rom 10:17). Faith comes as we hear God’s word and give attention to it. It develops as we act upon it in obedience.

Let us then give more time to listen to God’s word and read it more and let our faith grow that we may courageously face our fears by faith. Let us put trust Christ as we face our fears and with the Psalmist say, When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (Psa 56:3)

Dear Lord, help me to read, listen and depend on your word so that I may grow in faith. Thank you for reminding me that I need not live in fear but I can trust in you and face my fears courageously. In Jesus’ name. Amen!