Fear of the unknown

There is little doubt the current pandemic has entered the territory of the unknown. The medical professionals themselves can’t say for sure what lies ahead as far as the future of this pandemic is concerned. The speculation is, we could see cases surfacing up to January 2022, if no vaccine is found.

The question of vaccine is another matter.  However, as some people continue to ignore the seriousness of this virus and continue to flout all the necessary precautions the experts give, the world has not come to grips with getting rid of this virus. Countries that were once in control, such as China, where it began, South Korea, New Zealand, Spain and Italy, are seeing cases rising again.

On the other side of the pandemic, we have seen countries such as the United States and Brazil, which in the early stages of the virus, undermined its seriousness now setting record number of new cases everyday. But that’s what you get when you have their leaders failing to promote safety guidelines and telling their countrymen that the virus is “harmless.”  U.S. fatalities are heading for the 200,000 mark.

What has been the aftermath of all of this? We are facing the unknown, and along with it comes fear – fear among some people. Fear that they know what is next; fear they may eventually contract the virus; fear of losing jobs, homes, loved ones, and just about everything that affects our daily lives.

The Holy Bible has much to say about fear. First of all it assures us in Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

God promises that no matter what our situation is, whether it is fear of the known or the unknown, He is there to “help thee.” The big question during this pandemic is how many people are looking to God to help them confront their fears? It is not for a Christian to be fearful. It’s all over the New Testament that, as Christians, we should not be fearful, not when we have a God in heaven who cares for His people. 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Life is paved with fears, but we don’t have to allow them to get a hold on our lives. Proverbs 29:25  says “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” Romans 8:15 “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

If we live God’s ways, a life of obedience to His word, we will discover that our fears become an attribute of the past. There is no fear in God. He doesn’t want us to be fearful. What He wants us to do is to trust Him in everything we do; to be faithful in our walk with Him. Once we can achieve that, all fear is gone, COVID 19 or whatever challenges face the planet.   Philippians 4:6 – Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. For more on this subject, download FREE our booklet, THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.