‘O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.’ Isaiah 40:27-31(NLT)
‘Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Let all Israel repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” Let all who fear the Lord repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” In my distress I prayed to the Lord , and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord . Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord . They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord . My enemies did their best to kill me, but the Lord rescued me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done. The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die. Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord . These gates lead to the presence of the Lord , and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory! The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord ’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Please, Lord , please save us. Please, Lord , please give us success. Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord . We bless you from the house of the Lord . The Lord is God, shining upon us. Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you! Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.’ Psalms 118:1-29(NLT)
‘But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ‘ Romans 5:8(NLT)
‘In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.’ John 1:1-5 (NLT)
Trusting in the God who is from everlasting to everlasting
Fear of the future, or more precisely, a fear of what the future holds – this might be one of the hardest fears for us to grapple with. Because the future holds the potential for the realization of all our other fears. The unknowns of the future are the perfect breeding grounds for fear to build upon fear. It is no wonder that throughout human history, we have become obsessed with trying to see into the future. We desperately want assurance of what’s to come and maybe even a way to manipulate the whole thing in our favor.
Yet our best attempts are like chasing after the wind. Trying to know and control the future is a wearisome and soul-crushing business. Because we can’t. We aren’t supposed to. It is a burden we were never meant to bear. There is a better way.
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” (Isaiah 40:28)
Instead of fearing what the future holds, we can trust in the God who holds the future. Our God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. The One who has always been, and always will be.
But there’s more good news! Because our everlasting God has a never-ending love! His love endures forever. How do we know this to be true?
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
God has shown us the depth of His love through Jesus. Jesus, the one through whom all things were made. Jesus, who humbled Himself unto death, even death on a cross. He is our life and our light and our proof of God’s enduring love.
What control or knowledge have you been trying to grasp onto out of fear? In prayer, ask God to help you surrender that fear, in exchange for trust in His everlasting goodness and love.
Today as you read the Scriptures that follow, give thanks to our everlasting God because He is good! And His love endures forever.
from Fear Not