For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded has happened to me.
I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, for trouble comes.”
Job 3: 25, 26 New King James Version
Whether President Franklin Roosevelt spoke from an intimate relationship with God or not, his first inaugural speech sums up what God Himself keeps trying to get through to us: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." And in an remarkable similarity, Job uttered the words in the above passage at a time when like our country, all about had collapsed into economic ruin and left people desperate, penniless and without hope.
From his own mouth comes a confession of Job's lack of faith in God. He lived a good life, with many servants and cattle, and wealth. God twice calls Job "a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” But the very core of Job is about to be tested and found lacking. What he has feared most has happened. All about him lay in ruin, and he is no longer at peace.
Our minds consider things that we should not, and fear takes hold. What if...? How can I be confident when all about me is crumbling? Does God not care that I am suffering and hurting?
We can be assured that He does care? Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 4 & 5: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ..." What this means is that when we find ourselves fearful and despairing, we need to take these thoughts and recognize them for what they are: thoughts that are based on a lie that needs to be quickly arrested and dispatched, destroyed, cast down.
President Roosevelt tells us we should not fear anything but fear itself. But Paul tells us to take these thoughts and completely dispel them as we look to the truth of Christ, and our obedience to Him.
As Job was to find out, God had everything under control, if he will wait and look to Him. He says the same thing to us today. He has everything under control, for He made and formed us and all that is about us. He does care.
Our confidence in Him may be tested, but if we look to Him, we will not be found wanting.
We can trust Him completely.
