We must proclaim our trust that this mighty God loves us—and live differently as a result.
Last year, after Russia invaded Ukraine and cities were reduced to rubble, one key Ukrainian Christian leader provided an incredible perspective on faith in the face of fear.
In an article in Christianity Today, Sergey Rakhuba, president of Mission Eurasia, said that the Bible verse helping him persevere through such terrible tragedy was Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
He pointed out: “It is easy to trust God when nothing is happening, but it is when we are in the middle of an evil that is sweeping all around that we must rely on God. The heart is bleeding; but as the love of Jesus shines through tragedy, we can still find hope and joy.”
Those in the body of Christ are called to be people of faith and peace in the face of uncertainty, tragedy, and even chaos. Our job is to point others to not just God’s power but His love. I love Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The church has had practice with the “faith not fear” dynamic during these last few years of the pandemic. So many of us wrestled mightily with anxiety and worry. That was one reason why I put out my Find Joy devotional, to help us understand how to find joy no matter our circumstances.
Hopefully, God has used even such a difficult time to build our faith muscles. So as we look at the news, now is a time when we need to use those muscles and consider how to help others (and ourselves!) hold onto the truth and not get lost again.
I’m reminded of the biblical story of Jesus and the disciples crossing the sea of Galilee in a boat at night, and a violent storm coming up and threatening to capsize the boat (Matthew 8 and Mark 4). The disciples, understandably, freaked out, while Jesus was sleeping soundly. The disciples woke Jesus up and He spoke to the winds and the waves. Immediately there was a great calm. Jesus asked why they were so fearful, and called for His followers to trust in Him instead.
It is not easy. But when all around us are, understandably, anxious and fearful, we MUST be those who instead are people of peace. Because we can point our families, our community—and ourselves—to Jesus and say, “He is in control, and we must trust Him.”
Improve your relationships with simple, actionable steps backed by proven research! Visit
SurprisingHope.com to learn about our courses.
Do you want Shaunti to share these life-changing truths at your church or event? Send
us a speaking inquiry request today!
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small
amount from qualifying purchases through these affiliate links. This doesn’t cost you
anything.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In