Written By Ben Dankaka
Meditation – Isaiah 43:1-2
Challenges can be very scary. You could find yourself in the middle of a crisis that is life-threatening. You may be on a sick bed, trying to survive from a terminal illness. Or you could be in the hospital, trying to take care of a loved one while your work or business is going under. You might be overwhelmed by financial problems that have to do with debts. Challenges may come at you in form of a house rent you can’t pay. You could be surrounded by bills like school fees, office rents and medical bills at the same time. Your challenge could be a court case that might make you lose money or go to jail. Whatever your challenges might be, I know that it can be scary.
However, sometimes, it is the not the problems in our lives that hurts us the most, what eventually cripples us is the fear of the unknown. I remember when my mum was sick and I had to abandon everything I was doing to take care of her, my health also begun to fail as my blood pressure became so high. My doctor warned me that I was going to have a struck if I didn’t work on myself. I discovered that what made me hypertensive overnight was the fear of losing my mother. I couldn’t stop worrying because her condition wasn’t improving despite the medication, and the prayers my siblings and I were saying on her behalf. So I know what fear can do to anyone in times of crisis.
From experience, I have learned that “fear” is one of the greatest weapon of the enemy. When challenges hit you, the devil often comes along with “fear” and tries to place it in your heart. He uses “fear” as a weapon to cripple you, making you lose your ability to withstand the crisis. To overcome any challenge, you must first of all, eliminate the fear that the enemy has placed in your heart. Unfortunately, you cannot treat fear in the hospital. Fear isn’t something you can eliminate with the doctor’s prescription.
To overcome fear, you’ve got to get a prescription from God. I discovered this as I was going through my own challenges. As I was taking care of my mother, struggling to stay strong, I found comfort in God’s word. When the medication I got from the doctor didn’t work, I began to study the Bible. I found out that God’s way of helping us fight challenges often begins with a charge to overcome our fears. In Isaiah 43, God said to His people, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” Then He said, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” One remarkable thing about God is that He may not always prevent challenges from hitting us. But when challenges come our way, He rescues us.
Prayer: Lord, help me overcome my fears. Amen. Prayer:
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Isaiah 43:1-2
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.