What We Do Next—
- When we are afraid, what comes next?
- When we are afraid, what do we choose to do or think next?
- When we are afraid, do we walk on, even shaking in our boots or do we kneel down in prayer?
What do we do—when we are afraid?
The psalmist writes to describe a fighting, a war, a time when the enemy attacks, and he speaks of the peace of God that comes—despite the turmoil & despite the fear.
“Be gracious to me, O God, for man has
(The Psalms 56: 1-4 NASB)
trampled upon me;
Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
My foes have trampled upon me all
day long,
For they are many who fight proudly
against me.
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me?”
What We Do Next—Shouts Loudly In Whom We Trust.
In the Bible, we have the opportunity to read many instances of those individuals who faced challenges, who were afraid & who stood strong & who walked on—in the strength of the LORD.
Consider—
- David when he faced the giant of a man, Goliath—picked up four smooth stones & marched toward the battlefield.
- Esther when she faced ultimate death as she approached the current king, unannounced—bowed down in front of the king & his court, knowing she was made for a time such as this.
- Gideon when he marched around the city Jericho with only torches and horns led God’s people to march in a specific way, in a set time, and within the Lord’s directive & then—watched as the city walls came tumbling down to the ground.
- Noah when he built an ark in the middle of the desert while the crowd shouted about his foolishness—continued to build and to proclaim God’s message, & then led his family into the safety of the ark before the rain began to fall.
- Abram when he left his luxurious life in the city Ur of the Chaldeans &—walked hundreds of miles to Canaan, a place of barbarians, but God’s Promise Land, nonetheless.
- The disciples of Jesus when they left their livelihoods—laid down their daily tasks, forsaking all that they knew, to follow Jesus.
- Anna and Simeon, the prophetess and prophet, when they were told they would see the Messiah before they died—believed God at His word & waited decades for the Messiah to be born.
- Saul the persecutor, who when he encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus—allowed the Lord’s servant to administer to his needs, being led by the Lord to become Paul the apostle.
- Joseph, the earthly dad of the Son of God & Son of man, knowing he was going to face disgrace among the men of Nazareth—believed & obeyed the angel of God anyway!
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
(The Gospel According to Matthew 1: 18-20 & 24 NASB)
And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife;
for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
. . .
And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife.”
What We Do Next—Shouts Loudly In Whom We Trust.
10. Mary, the one chosen to carry and birth the Messiah, who discovered she was pregnant, even before she knew Joseph, her husband, while she was still a virgin—believed the angel of God and the TRUTH of GOD!
“The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary;
(The Gospel According to Luke 1: 30 & 38 NASB)
for you have found favor with God.
. . .
And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord;
may it be done to me according to your word.”
And the angel departed from her.”
When we do not know what else to say, may we shout to the world, as Charly Beathard sings—“Hallelujah Anyway.”
What We Do Next—Shouts Loudly In Whom We Trust.
What We Do Next—After God speaks—shows in Whom We Trust & Truly Believe.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 5: 8-10 NASB)
in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
Much more then,
having now been justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
For if while we were enemies
we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,
much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”