Trust Without Fear

I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

This verse is a powerful declaration of faith — the Lord is my strength, my song, my salvation! What an extraordinary privilege it is to personally know and believe this truth. And yet, this truth immediately presents us with a challenge: I will trust, and will not be afraid. We often manage the first part more readily, for it was through trust in God that we first received His salvation. The greater challenge lies in the second part — not being afraid. However sincere our faith is, fear is something that none of us can entirely avoid.

The enemy works hard to keep us in a constant state of worry and fear — fear of losing a job, fear of an unwanted diagnosis, fear of loneliness, debt, not having safety and security. We worry about decisions that need to be made and the uncertainty about what the future holds. These fears accumulate, and if we’re not careful, the weight of them can quietly chip away at our trust in God.

Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

We don’t need endurance for the easy things in life — we need it for the difficult and demanding ones. The very next verse in Hebrews 12 reminds us that Jesus Himself endured the cross, and He has promised that through our own endurance we will gain our lives (Luke 21:19).

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:36

The promise we hold onto is nothing less than eternal salvation in the Kingdom of God — and in that Kingdom, fear is banished, for it cannot exist in the same place as God’s perfect love. Every promise God has made proves true, and it is precisely this faithfulness that gives us the firm foundation on which to trust without fear.

Isaiah’s declaration is not merely a comforting sentiment — it is a statement of defiant, confident faith. We, in turn, declare it as often as we need to, in whatever circumstances we face, until it becomes a living reality in our hearts.