There is no fear in what you’re going to face...

From the mundane (flat photos) to the glorious (this entry?) – God is in it all. Many years ago when I was still at Uni (that is doing my undergrad at Bath) I went to a wonderful little church called Hayhill Baptist Church. This was a lovely little church with a family feel and, at least when I attended, not too many students! Anyway, one of the things we did was have an ‘encouraging prophesy’ class lead by people from one of the other churches in Bath. I don’t know what your views on prophesy are but this was about making time to hear from God the encouraging words he had for your fellow Christians. We were all a bit nervous about this and tried our best but it was clear that those people who were leading the course had spent time growing this spiritual gift. At the end of each evening they spent time speaking to each of us, which they recorded for us so we could listen to what God was saying again and again. I only got to the sessions a couple of times but both times received encouragements that have stayed with me for the intervening years (which is actually only 7 years or so but I think I will be saying the same thing when I’m eighty!). So there are a couple of things they said that I’ve been reflecting on over the last few weeks.

 

First and foremost; ‘there is no fear in what you’re going to face’. She said this again and again as if to drive the message home, and I have always struggled with that. I feel like I fear pretty much everything I face – day in, day out – I fear. Then I got on a plane and flew across an ocean preparing to spend two years in a place I had never been, where I knew no-one. I prepared for the weight and crush of fear, for anxiety and homesickness. This is where God shows up. This is where he steps in. This is where I lean on a God who says ‘there is no fear in what you are going to face’ and does it, and I am without fear. I am provided for (largely through Laurie and John’s Christ centred hearts) and I know I will be provided for. The moral of the story is 1) God is good all the time, all the time God is good! And 2) guard the words you say and think carefully about the words you do not speak because you may be withholding an encouraging blessing.