Fear and Faith

Fear and Faith

Joshua 1-5

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

                  In the late 1990s, two books were written that shared the same title: Culture of Fear.”  Since then, the phrase has become a part of our national discussion as our culture has become increasingly obsessed with the threats to our safety and existence.  In recent years, our society has become fixated on what we should fear.  Politicians use fear to try and generate votes for themselves. Fear feeds itself, so that the more we fear, the more we embrace fear.  We fear the threat of terrorists, we fear who is going to be elected, we fear things that are seen as existential threats, such as pandemics and weapons of mass destruction.  We fear circumstances that are a threat to our personal safety, such as crime and attacks by terrorists.  In a culture of fear, everything becomes a threat, even the most common elements of life.  We fear the water might have been contaminated by some foreign object, so we drink only bottled water. When making plans, we do “risk analysis” rather than look at the potential benefits. When we embrace fear, it paralyzes us from stepping out in faith. The one thing we fear the most is the fear of the unknown, the unpredictable, and the uncontrollable.  

                  As Joshua and the people of Israel were about to cross the Jordan and enter the promised land, they faced an unknown future.  They would encounter enemies and threats from the surrounding nations that opposed them.  They faced the unknown of new leadership.  Moses had been their leader for over forty years, providing confidence, security, and consistency.  But now Moses was dead, and a new leader was taking the helm.  Yet not only were the people gripped by fear, but Joshua himself was fearful.  In Joshua 1, God repeatedly exhorts Joshua to be “strong and very courageous.”  The fact that He repeats it three times suggests that Joshua was anything but strong and courageous as Israel stood on the banks of the Jordan River.   

                  The same fear and anxiety often plagues us. We like the known and predictable because it gives us security and confidence.  But when life becomes uncertain, unpredictable, and uncontrollable, we can become fearful of the future.  The more life becomes outside our control, the more we can become paralyzed by fear and apprehension.  In 1:5-9, God gives us two foundations for confident living in the face of fear.  First, we do not need to fear because we have a God who controls all circumstances.  To calm Joshua’s fear, God assures him of His presence.  The same is true for us.  We do not need to be afraid because God “will be with us and will not fail us or forsake us” (1:5).  When we walk by faith, we walk in the presence of God who is with us every step of the way (1:9).  The second is the assurance we have from His Word.  Security comes when we obey God’s will (1:8).  The Bible is more than just a book of moral truth; it is a dynamic book that permeates our lives and changes our perspective to live according to God’s plan and purpose. When we do so, we have confidence that God’s plan is always perfect, so our security comes from Him. Christ reminds us that when we build our lives upon His Word and commands, even the most violent storm of life does not threaten our security in His Word (Matthew 24-27).

                  When your circumstances become uncertain and life becomes fearful, the answer is not to live in fear but to live by faith.  Faith gives us the confidence that God is in control and that he governs all the circumstances and struggles of life.  Instead of looking at the enormity of your challenges, look upon the immensity of God.  The God who created and sustains the universe is the God who promises to sustain and protect you amid your circumstances. There is no greater security in life than this.