No Fear

October 11, 2010

On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side. . .” And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. (Mark 4:35-38a)

Let us go over to the other side. Even in Jesus’ journey, storms brewed, but He went forward anyway. God is all about the process, and Jesus is telling us daily to cross to the other side.

They woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:38b-40)

Why are you afraid? Jesus is still addressing all of us on our journey and asking us the same question. He woke and drove fear from the boat. God wants to drive fear out of your life too.

God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7 NCV)

Let’s deny the devil the right to set up shop in terms of fear. “The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God” (Romans 8:15a NCV). The Prince of Peace does not use fear, intimidation, or anxiety to motivate us. He is the amazing Savior who brought us out of fear with His perfect love (1 John 4:18).

They came to the other side of the sea (Mark 5:1a). Jesus brought us certainty about the big questions of life. We don’t have to fear evil tidings. Life’s not easy—there are many challenges along the way, and we don’t have everything figured out. But we do know this: He who has begun a good work in us will complete it till the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6). We can have a steadfast heart because we trust in God (Psalm 112:7). He will get us to the other side.

Press On!
Pastor Jeff

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.