Today we being the final section of "The Strength to Love" by Martin Luther King, Jr. It deals with the fourth way to master fear - faith.
A common source of fear is an awareness of deficient resources and of a consequent inadequacy for life. All too many people attempt to face the tensions of life with inadequate spiritual resources. When vacationing in Mexico, Mrs. King and I wished to go deep-sea fishing. For reasons of economy, we rented an old and poorly equipped boat. We gave this little thought until, ten miles from shore, the clouds lowered and howling winds blew. then we became paralyzed with fear, for we knew our boat was deficient. Multitudes of people are in a similar situation. Heavy winds and weak boats explain their fear.
This is why we talk of our God as our rock...our foundation...our mighty fortress. It is to be for us a reminder that in and through all things, we are in the presence of our God who brings life even when we are threatened. This is life that may mean things will change or the day will not go as we had planned...but we will be in the midst of life in which God will still be our rock. Fear may paralyze us and keep us from being held up by hope, so we are responsible to one another to keep bringing words and actions of life and hopefulness to one another when we are about to "go under." To be of aid to other and to be able to receive the aid of others, we must continue to walk within a discipline in which we continuously remember the promises of our God even when we cannot see or hear God's presence or are not open to how God walks with us. Faith enables us to walk out onto and over the fears that would own us and drown us.
Connection: Are your able to know when you are walking on this rock? Are you able to know when you are needing to be hoisted up onto this rock? Do you know the way from fear into the path of faith as you move through another of the ordinary days of life?
Most of our day, O God, we long for your Spirit to hold us up long enough that we will learn how to walk within your gracious presence. When that takes place, we are not so easily blown around by fear. But that Spirit is a constant need and a blessed hope. Abide with us. Amen.
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