And when the Israelites saw the great power of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him … NIV
I admit that this verse does not say “fear not.” But, it is included under both “fear” and “trust” in my concordance, and so it drew my attention, as these are two themes I am exploring during these 365 days of searching out reminders not to worry.
When I looked up this word “fear” in my Hebrew dictionary, I found that it means, “honor, respect and awe.” The people saw the power of the Lord when He parted the Red Sea for them so that they could walk through on dry ground and then, when the Egyptians tried to follow them, He closed the sea back up and they all were drowned. The people were, understandably, in awe.
When they saw the power of God, demonstrated on their behalf, they put their trust in Him. This verb, “to put trust,” is translated, “to believe, trust, have confidence.” It is interesting to me that they “put” their trust in God, which implies that they could have chosen to put it somewhere else.
That is a mistake that I often make. My belief in God is at the center of my life. But, my belief and my trust must be aligned if I am to stay in balance. If I put my trust in Him, my centers of gravity line up and all is right with the world. When I take my trust off of Him and put it somewhere else … in my own abilities, in other people, in things or money … everything gets out of kilter and unbalanced.
On a daily basis, I must make the choice to trust God, and to walk forward in the confidence of His love and His provision for my life. “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5
365 Days of Peace 