Fear Not, Wilderness Walker

God, in his infinite wisdom, tells us to “fear not”. You’d think as followers, we would follow his lead without question, right? So why does my mortgage payment keep me up at night? Why do minor aches and pains fearfully remind me of time’s relentless pursuit and inevitable conquest of my fragile flesh? Why can’t I simply accept the fact that some snot-nosed punks are going to someday sweep my little girls right off of their feet, and out of my protective hands?

I’m sure others deal with the same concerns I do. For some people, worry is a constant pain that even threatens their walk with Christ. My wife was recently listening to a message by the late Dr. J Vernon McGee, in which he referred to the habitual worrying believer as a “Wilderness Christian”. For my wife, that message brought revelation in the form of a hard pill to swallow. She often fights to trust the Lord when it comes to the everyday challenges we face. Who doesn’t? For my Misty, the title, “Wilderness Christian” put a face to a particular challenge she’s dealt with for years: relinquishing control, and trusting the Lord.

One of my favorite verses in the bible is Proverbs 3:5, which reads,

“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”

God loves to keep it simple and tell it like it is. We, tend to complicate his simplicity by overthinking, overreacting, overblowing and generally disrespecting his commands. What can I say? It’s in our nature to sin. That’s just what we’re doing when we refuse to trust in the Lord’s promises.We’re essentially telling God, “Hey look, I understand what you’re promising. But the fact is, I just don’t believe you can help out in this situation. So…I’m going to put my trust in something else, to solve my problems.”

Yeah, I know that seems a bit harsh brothers and sisters, but the truth is, when we doubt God, this is exactly what we’re telling him. “God, I don’t believe you are who you say you are.”

Woo! Did you feel that? I sure did! I got goose-bumps just admitting that out loud, and yet we all do it at some point in our lives, whether verbally or silently in our hearts. The Israelites walked in the wilderness for 40 years because they basically acted on the statements just read. How long will you continue to walk in your own personal desert, before you willingly put your whole heart and trust in God?

Personally, I love the idea of putting all of my trust in the creator of all things. It honestly removes a huge weight off of my shoulders to trust in the Lord, and believe that he works all things out for my good. So the next time you find yourself up against a mountain of a challenge, do not fear. Instead, put your trust in God and let him handle it. Watch what he does.