Ruth Graham, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham, takes the title of her book Fear Not Tomorrow, God is Already There from a framed print that hung on the wall in front of her mother’s desk. Ruth received the print from her mother when Ruth was being torn apart by the struggles of one of her children.
While Ruth acknowledges that such a blessing may bring momentary clarity and temporary relief to our adversity, all too soon we return to the struggles of daily life. That’s because, as author and pastor Jeff Manion (The Land Between) puts it, the knowledge and depth of character gained from adversity has to be forged. Given the human uncertainty of our circumstances, how is it possible to “fear not”?
One key is to shift our focus from our circumstances back to God. As we stay our minds on God (Isaiah 26:3), our problems begin to lose their power over us.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’ “-Hebrews 13: 5-6
