Author: Nathaniel Colt

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Read: 1 Peter 5:7–9

When something exciting happens in your life, who is the first person you want to tell? When you are frustrated, who do you look to for comfort and understanding? When you are worried or afraid of something, who do you tell about your fears?

God wants to be the One you go to in every situation. The Bible says that we can give all our cares and worries to God because He cares for us. God cares for us and can take care of us like no one else can. He is big and strong and can handle any situation we face. When we choose to hold on to our fears and worries, Satan can use that to try to deceive us and keep us bound up in suffering. We must stay alert to these tricks of the enemy and instead go to God and put our faith in Him.

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Read: Psalm 34:4–5

Imagine that every fear you have is a chain strapped around you. Maybe you’re afraid of speaking in public, or maybe you’re afraid of something that might happen. Each fear is a chain keeping you bound up. When you allow fear to control your actions, you can sometimes miss out on good things that God has for you. The longer you live in fear, the easier it is to become more bound up in those chains when what God truly desires for you is to be free from fear.

It’s important for us to fill our heart and mind with the truth of God’s Word. Then, when we face difficult situations, the Holy Spirit will bring that truth to mind and help us stand firm and be strong. When we surrender our fears to God and allow the truth of His Word to fill our heart, we will overcome fear. God frees us from all our fears because He is bigger and stronger than anything we may face.

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Read: Philippians 4:6–7

Have you done something that made you anxious or afraid? Maybe you were nervous about starting a new school year. Or maybe you moved to a new place with new neighbors and new friends. Maybe you were afraid to go to a doctor or dentist. All of us face times when we are anxious about something.

But God tells us that there’s a different way that we can live. God wants us to talk to Him about the things that worry us. When we begin to thank God and remember what He has already done in our life, we can have peace from God that we can’t understand. That peace will guard our heart and mind.

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Read: Psalm 91:1–5

When a mother bird has a nest filled with eggs or baby birds, she will perch herself on top of that nest to be a covering for her babies. She will cover and protect those babies from the storms or predators looking to attack them.

The Bible uses this illustration to help us understand how God covers and shelters us. He can be trusted and offers protection to us. We don’t have to be afraid of anything we may face because God is a faithful guardian for us to hide in. We can rest in the comfort of knowing that whatever comes our way, He will be our covering, our protection that will never fail.

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Read: Isaiah 41:10

Can you imagine what it might feel like to be lost in the woods at night? Being alone and not knowing where to go or what dangers could be lurking in the shadows might cause you to be very fearful. At a time like that, it would be comforting to have a friend by your side that you could talk to and be with. Simply knowing that you are not alone could calm your fears and give you confidence.

This is what God does for us. He is our ever-present Friend. He reminds us to not be afraid or discouraged. He will strengthen us and uphold us. But He also wants to use us to be a friend to others who may be lonely or hurting. Sometimes, out of the hurt and pain we feel ourself, God can speak through us to help others. Don’t allow yourself to be swallowed up by loneliness, but allow God to strengthen you and to use you to reach out to others who may be hurting too.

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Read: John 16:32–33

In today’s verses, Jesus was talking to His disciples about something that was about to happen. Jesus knew He was going to die. He also knew that, before His death, His friends would abandon Him because they were afraid. Even though Jesus experienced the heartbreak of His earthly friends leaving Him, He knew that God the Father was with Him. Jesus experienced being alone during a hard time. We can feel alone sometimes, too. However, Jesus didn’t end the conversation with being lonely. He told them that, they too, would face trials and heartbreak in this world, but not to worry because He had overcome the world.

Each of us will face times when we are lonely, and we will feel like everyone has forgotten us. We may feel like our friends have left us, or that our family doesn’t understand how we feel. However, Jesus promised that when we go to Him in these times of loneliness, we can find peace in Him. Through our darkest moments, we can turn to Him knowing that He will help us and carry us through. The difficult things we face are only temporary. He has overcome the world.