Dealing with fear (3)
2021-03-17Job 4:14 NKJV
Health. Fears about health can take different forms. We worry about the health of those we love. We might be fearful because we’re currently unwell and we’re scared of what could be wrong, or we’re afraid of getting a particular illness at some point in our lives. It’s great to be informed about different illnesses and what we need to look out for, but the downside for some of us is that we can be tempted to jump to the worst possible conclusion whenever we experience a symptom.
In Job 4:13-14, Eliphaz says: ‘In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night…fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake’ (NKJV). It’s often in the middle of the night, when we’re alone with just our own thoughts for company, with plenty of time for our imaginations to run wild, that our fears can increase and take us captive.
But God wants to bring us out of that fearful place to a place of His peace. Jeremiah 17:14 says, ‘Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise’ (NIV), and Psalm 30:2 says ‘O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health’ (NLT).
God can and does heal people from illnesses. But sometimes His healing takes a different form. He might not always physically heal us, but when we cry out to Him, He’ll soothe our minds by taking our fears and replacing them with His peace. We don’t know why He doesn’t physically heal everyone, but we can be sure that whatever health problems we might experience, He won’t let us face them alone.