The omicron variant of Covid-19 has arrived. The speculation of its symptoms, infection rate, and future variants is front page news. The question of vaccine effectiveness is being debated as countries shut their borders to protect the populace. Gratefully, Angelique Coetzee, who first discovered this variant, and who is the chair of the South African Medical Association, has described it this way: “Looking at the mildness of the symptoms that we are seeing, currently, there’s no reason for panicking as we don’t see severely ill patients.” That is good news and reason to give thanks. But even if that news changes or another variant surfaces, God’s people are not to live afraid.
Many people live their lives driven by fear. Creating fear is a major strategy in marketing products. Do you have enough life insurance? Are you taking the right vitamins? Is your health insurance dependable? Are you saving enough for retirement? Are you in “good hands” with your auto and house insurance? Is your vehicle reliable? The world uses fear to its benefit. The irony of this marketing ploy is that we still live with fear after we have bought it all. Wealthy people go bankrupt. Healthy people die young. Insured houses flood and owners discover they weren’t completely covered. New cars break down. Are we destined to simply live our lives afraid?
No. Though the numbers vary slightly, depending on translations, scholars claim that the Bible declares, “Do not fear,” 365 times – that is one time for every day of the year. Psalms 27 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. David declares, “The LORD is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident” (1-3, NLT).
The secret to battling fear is faith in God. The greater the faith, the greater the peace. The Psalmist paints the worst scenarios and overwhelming odds and yet says, “I will not be afraid.” The Lord knows what I will face today. I am His child and am greatly loved. He has promised to never leave me alone. He provides angelic escorts for life’s journey. I simply cannot control much of what happens in life and must not worry about what I cannot control. The future is in the hands of the Lord, and thankfully, that is where I am, too.
Name your greatest fear and then lay it before the Lord. Peter said, “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7). Though much about life is uncertain, this one thing I know: God does not want you to live one more day driven and controlled by fear.