FEAR AND ANXIETY SERVE A PURPOSE

We tend to be anxious about so many things - jobs, money, health, success, family, and the list goes on. Then we make matters worse by thinking, “Look how anxious I am. Being so anxious, I’m evidently not trusting God and shouldn’t expect to receive anything from Him.”

This certainly isn’t so. If our anxieties meant we weren’t trusting God, Joshua would have been left bereft of the Lord’s protection. However, experiencing anxiety and fear had not been the issue, but rather being led by anxieties rather than by the Lord. Therefore, the Lord instructed Joshua how to lean upon Him while struggling against his anxious temptations to run:

·       This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:8-9)

Being courageous was not a matter of Joshua ridding himself of fear, but of standing his ground in the Word and in God’s promises. Notice that the Lord didn’t instruct Joshua to not experience the feelings of anxiety. Instead, He instructed Joshua what to do in the midst of his fears.

The Children of Israel feared as they heard the Egyptian chariots approaching as they stood at the edge of the Red Sea. The Lord didn’t instruct them not to feel that way but instead simply to wait and observe the Lord’s salvation:

·       And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." (Exodus 14:13-14)

Despite the fears of the people, the Lord proved faithful and divided the sea so that the terrified Israelites could pass to the other side. Sometimes, we are so powerless that all we can do is to watch and wait. Amazingly, even in the midst of their rebellion and fear, the Lord even commended their faith:

·       By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. (Hebrews 11:29)

The Israelites are remembered as exemplars of faith. Clearly, having faith doesn’t mean that we aren’t also filled with dread. Years ago, my wife bribed me to get on a roller coaster with her. Even though I trusted in the Lord, I screamed in terror until we rolled into the station at the end of the ride. Afterwards, I vowed never to do it again.

After a year of traveling, Joshua sent out 12 spies into the Promised Land. What they saw filled them with anxiety. However, 10 of them succumbed to their fears and reported back that the Canaanites were too powerful for them, and they created a rebellion. They had placed their fears above the promises of God. Joshua and Caleb might have also felt the same way, but they were willing to trust in the Word of the Lord. It was a matter of deciding for the Lord. The two – Joshua and Caleb – warned:

·       Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them. (Numbers 14:9)

It didn’t matter what they felt, but whether or not they would simply decide to trust in the Word of the Lord.

Jesus understood how anxiety can take our focus away from the Lord, and He provided the remedy:

·       Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)

Jesus didn’t instruct them how not to experience anxiety, but instead what to do while in the midst of it. We have to proactively and resolutely put the Lord first in our lives, and He will deal with the source of our anxiety and provide for our needs.

In fact, anxiety can be a good thing. It can direct us towards our only Source of hope. Therefore, the Psalmist, wrote, “When I fear, I will trust in the Lord” (Psalm 56:3).