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"Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent.'"
(Acts 18:9)
There is much instability and fear in Ukraine. The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has ordered all missionaries to withdraw to other nearby countries like Poland. I was reading a post by one of the IMB missionaries in Ukraine. It is very hard for them to leave their homes and the work of the ministry in this country. This same missionary served in Belarus when I visited him while I was on a short-term mission trip. I think that was the most nervous I had ever been on a mission trip. A government official sequestered us and took our passports. You never want to part with your passport while overseas, but we had no choice. Natasha, the local pastor's wife, came to our aid. She confronted the government official, and I cannot speak Belarusian, but I can definitely tell you verbal sparks were flying. Later, we were told that the government official told the pastor's wife that she knew who we were and what we were doing because she could see the light in our eyes. We soon got our passports back and everything was fine. We should pray for the crisis in Ukraine and all the instability this is causing for so many. We should be praying for our president as well.
Acts 18:9 contains one of the hundreds of references in the Bible to not being fearful or afraid. My prayer today is that the Lord would speak to your restless soul (and to my soul as well), and that He would impart His words of courage and faith. The LORD God is still the one true sovereign God who reigns, and He will take care of His children, come what may. Psalm 46:1, 2 states: "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."
Fear and faith cannot coexist in the same heart; one will prevail over the other. A young Native American boy told the wise leader and chief of his tribe about two wolves in his heart that were at war: one was very good, and the other desired to do evil. The boy asked, "How will I know which one will win"? The old chief said, "The one you feed." Today, I want to feed your faith and starve your fear by offering words of comfort and encouragement to the soul who is struggling.
Everyone struggles with fear; even the Apostle Paul struggled with this emotion. He asked the church at Ephesus to pray for him that he would be bold in sharing Christ (Ephesians 4:19). In Acts 18, we read about a Paul who is fatigued, fearful, and in deep need of courage, assurance, and encouragement. Then God moves in a wonderful way in Paul's life. He sends showers of blessings and a season of refreshing to his beleaguered servant. What God did in Paul's life He can do in your life and mine, taking us from fear, worry, and doubt to faith, joy, and victory.
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