Craig Clouston

When Fear Becomes Trust

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes … and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7, 8

The gentleman sitting across from him was six feet and four inches tall, three hundred fifty pounds, and barrel-chested. He’d always been intimidated sharing his faith with big men. Today’s circumstances changed all that. He felt God urging him to pray with this man. He’d just been told that the medical equipment the man needed to survive had been denied as he had no means to pay for the machine or the care involved. Stuffing his fear, he asked the man, “Would it be all right if we pray about this?” The man answered, “Sure, I guess.” He prayed a short but direct prayer that God would have His way, removing any obstacles between the man and the care he needed. Finished, they completed the interview, and the man left.
Fifteen minutes later, the phone rang. Picking up the receiver, he heard sobbing on the other end of the line. Through sobs, the big man explained that upon his return home, he had listened to his voice mail. The lone message had been the medical provider. The message said, “It’s against our policy, but we’re bringing the equipment you need, and we’ll worry about payment later.”

†

When we answer God’s call, He works in ways we cannot imagine. He moves the hearts of people that know and follow Him, and He works on the hearts of those who don’t.
When God gets us in the classroom, He intends that we learn these lessons for future reference. The man behind the desk learned that he could share his faith with anyone as long as God was in control. The big man had learned to trust God for his very existence. Stepping out in faith pays exponential dividends.

Prayer

“Almighty Father, teach me to trust You in every part of my life. Help me to step out in faith and give the fear of my life to You so I can be better used by You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”