I will not fear

The Helper of Israel - Isaiah 41:1-10

"Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.
"Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service ? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow.
He pursues them and moves on unscathed, by a path his feet have not traveled before.
Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD--with the first of them and with the last--I am he."
The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward; each helps the other and says to his brother, "Be strong!"
The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer spurs on him who strikes the anvil. He says of the welding, "It is good." He nails down the idol so it will not topple.
"But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Many schools and other ministries suffer from a "fear factor" syndrome. It looks like this.
- Our enrollment is shrinking; the income is going to dry up
- People will stop giving to the school in this economy
- Other sources of support could go away, too
- We could be forced by the government to hire people who don't share our values

God is not impressed or daunted by current situations; He has a much bigger picture in mind. He reminds His people Israel that they are the chosen; they are not rejected - they are upheld with God's righteous right hand - isn't that where Jesus reigns, too?

The opposite of fear is not blind or reckless courage; it is confidence in the Lord and the boldness to stay on the course He has laid out.

Here is an example: The fund raising dinner or event did not bring (at that moment) the desired goal. We could conclude that this type of event "does not work" and abandon the idea altogether. But, what if there were 10 new friends of the school that came to a new understanding of the education mission and are seeking to get involved? It seems that God was willing to spare Sodom for 10, wasn't He?

Don't fear. Easy to say - hard to do, especially when our measuring sticks are so tangible and near term.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Remember who you are; remember whose you are
2. Look for the "things" that the Lord cares about
3. Take the embers of excitement that the Spirit ignited and gently blow them into flames

Lastly, don't forget who gave you the breath to blow!