Overcoming the Fear of an Uncertain Future
Bible passage: Genesis 15:1-6
“1. After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." 2. But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3. And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 4. Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5. He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-- if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6. Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. ”
A news article I saw in Korea a few years ago really broke my heart.
The contents are as follows: It is said that there are 510,000 young people across the country who live in seclusion because they are afraid of the world. Seclusive young people who live locked in their rooms, cut off from the outside world; are becoming a social problem. The reason why the number of solitary young people is increasing is that in a competitive society where there are only winners and losers, it is becoming difficult to find a job, and young people who have failed have no opportunity to try again, so young people are losing hope and choosing to live a solitary life.
As I remembered these stories, I began to pray and hope that our church's Nairobi Manmin Academy would become a ‘breakthrough’ that could provide even a little bit of hope to young people and help to our neighbors. However, the truth is that it is not only solitary young people who have fears about the future. All humans living on this earth cannot be free from the fear of life. According to experts, babies begin to feel fear 5 to 7 months after birth. After the evening service, there are believers who come to receive prayers. Some believers sometimes bring their babies, and some of them cry when I place my hands on them to pray.
The baby isn't crying because he's scared of me, right? I don't look scary at all, right? When a stranger approaches and touches the baby, the baby instinctively feel fear and cry. The baby doesn't cry because something is wrong. Life is like this, when a baby feels afraid of something in life and cries. Adults are just getting older, have more respect, and have become insensitive to crying, but the truth is that there are many times when adults want to cry too. All people living on this earth cannot escape the feeling of fear. Today’s scripture addresses the issue of ‘fear of an uncertain future.’ By finding out what answer God gives to this problem, I hope that your life will be filled with grace that will only fill you with hope, victory, and peace.
1. We must know that we can overcome the fear of an uncertain future with the power of God. In today’s scripture, the word ‘after this’ appears in verse 1. Only by finding out what really happened ‘before’ can we know the exact meaning of ‘after’. According to Genesis Chapter 14, the kings of the North invaded the land of Sodom, where Abraham's nephew Lot lived, and a war broke out, and Lot's family was taken prisoner. Upon hearing this news, Abraham raised a private army, won the war, and was able to save the family of his nephew Lot.
With God's help, Abraham won a war that he could never win on his own and saved his nephew, but the joy of his victory was short-lived and he still had fear. That is why God appeared after this incident and said, “Do not be afraid.” Humans have situational and existential fears. Situational fears are superficial fears. Abram was able to eliminate the fear caused by his surroundings by winning the war, but the deep existential fear that all humans must carry with them throughout their lives still remained. This was an existential, deep fear brought about by uncertainty about the future. God wanted Abraham to abandon these fears and live with fundamental peace. Why did he feel fear about an uncertain future? What on earth was Abram, who won the war, afraid of?
Abram was not afraid because he did something wrong. Even though Abram was obeying the Word and walking the path God wanted him to follow, Abram also had fear. You can get the answer by looking at verse 2 which says, “But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can You give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”” Abraham's fear is that God helped him win the war and blessed him with many rewards, so he had a lot of wealth, but he was afraid of not having children to share this joy and pass on the wealth he had accumulated. As the Psalmist said in Psalm 127:4-5, “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate,” in tribal societies of that time, not having children meant that the future was uncertain and more likely to be exposed to danger.
In counseling terms, there is a term called ‘anxiety of the middle ground.’ Paul Trunnier, a 20th century psychologist, explained ‘anxiety of the middle ground’ in his book ‘The Place of Man’. ‘Anxiety of the middle ground’ refers to the anxiety experienced by an acrobat riding a trapeze in a circus when he lets go of the swing he was leaning on and stays in the air for a moment to catch the swing on the other side. He let go of the swing he was holding in order to catch the swing on the other side, but how anxious must the acrobat feel as he is floating in the air, looking at the swing he has not yet been able to catch? It refers to the fear brought about by the approaching ‘uncertainty’ due to the uncertainty about the future, ‘Will it ever come true?’ because what one hopes for and hopes for in life has not yet come true. Abraham’s fear is the ‘anxiety of the middle ground.’
It can be said that everyone who believes in Jesus has this fear of ‘anxiety of the middle ground.’ It is God's promise to live eternal life with complete joy and blessings in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven, but this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Although we are living moment by moment, receiving various graces and blessings by the grace of God, we are still living on this earth, waiting for the day to enter the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. “What blessings will God give me during my life? How will the future shape of my life be different? When will the Lord come again? Can I really be raptured? “Will the Kingdom of Heaven actually arrive?”
For Christians, this fear is ‘anxiety of the middle ground.’ But God says, “Do not be afraid.” It is said that the phrase “do not be afraid” appears 365 times in the Bible. There are numerous commands recorded in the Bible. Commands are not something you can just listen to or not listen to; They must be obeyed. For example, there are important commands in the Bible such as ‘Love one another, rejoice, give thanks in all circumstances, pray without ceasing, and be witnesses to the ends of the earth.’ Among the many commands in the Bible, what is the most important? The commands that are repeated the most will be the most important. So, what are the most repeated commands? It is neither ‘love one another’ nor ‘pray and evangelize.’ Surprisingly, the most repeated command is ‘Do not be afraid.’ Why does God repeatedly tell us not to be afraid?
This may be because God's children are always surrounded by weakness and feel anxious. This is because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion with his fierce teeth and claws, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Regarding this, God commands as follows: Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” By following this command, I hope that you will overcome the fear of the world and the anxiety of uncertainty about the future with the grace and peace that God gives.
2. When you feel anxious due to an uncertain future, you must turn to God and receive correction through His Word. There is anxiety about the uncertain future, and when fear arises inside, life becomes unstable. This is because fear clouds your judgment and discernment. In Verse 2 of the scripture, Abram asked God, “Sovereign LORD, what can You give me?” If he asked a question, shouldn’t he wait for God’s answer? However, Abram became impatient and asked his own question and gave his own answer according to his own thoughts. In the second part of verse 2 till verse 3, he says, “I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” In a word, he did not consult God's will, but did what he thought, what he planned, and what he wanted. When you make plans or decide what to do, you should be careful if you have fears about the future within you. 6 Because judgment is clouded by fear, there is a high probability of wrong results. There is a Korean proverb that says, ‘Playing the drum and playing the drum alone.’
In English, it can be said, One asking himself questions and then answers himself. Such is said to have put on a one-man show. It is also said that there is an expression “You are stealing the show.” It means ‘the supporting actor sweeps away the popularity of the main character.’ God is the main character and Abram is the supporting character, but the leading and supporting characters are reversed so that Abram is doing everything that God would do. Then, God corrected Abram's wrong thinking by giving him guidance through words and teaching him the right answer. Verse 4 of the scripture says, “Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”” Are you living your life corrected by the word of God for your wrong thoughts and judgments? After Sunday service, are you receiving correction from God for your wrong thoughts, judgments, and lifestyle during the six days of your life? “I can't do it like this. This idea is wrong.”
If you live like this, God will not be pleased. I hope you realize your mistakes and correct them every day. I hope you will worship while thinking of it deeply during worship. You must listen carefully and think deeply about what the bishop is saying. “What are your words to me?” If you listen to the Word while thinking about what you need to correct, amend, and correct now, it becomes grace and power. Those who doze off during worship service or are thinking about other things will not grow in their faith and will miss out on God's blessings because they do not know how to correct or what to correct no matter how many words are spoken on the altar.
You may feel sleepy once or twice, but people who are regularly sleepy during every service, the sleepy-eyed people, they have spiritual problems. Suppose I ask you now, “What is your specialty? What is your priority?” will you say, “Well, I doze off during worship service.” Would you mind saying, “Dozing off during a sermon is number one?” Shouldn’t you say, “Evangelism is my specialty. Prayer is my specialty. Love, serving are my strengths?” Don't just ignore it. Even if it means fasting, you must defeat the devil of sleepiness, listen carefully to the words, and apply them to your life. How fun is your religious life when you listen to God's word, correct your wrong thoughts, correct your faith, and receive blessings and answers? You must make your religious life fun.
I hope you enjoy your religious life. In Chapter 11 of Genesis, the Tower of Babel incident is recorded. While building a high tower, they were rebuked by God and cursed. Why did they build the Tower of Babel so high? They had their own thoughts, “What if there is another flood?” Because they were afraid, the idea was to build a tall Tower of Babel and, if there was another flood, they would climb up the tower and avoid death. What did they do wrong? The fear of the flood clouded their judgment, so they built the Tower of Babel, which God hated. In times like this, you must first rely on God. “I am afraid, O God.
What should I do?” You should ask for help by asking, “I will do what God wants, so please help me.” As they built the Tower of Babel according to their own ideas without asking God, they were cursed with the tower collapsing and scattering to pieces. 8 Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” We must trust our lives to God and acknowledge Him in everything. Acknowledging means examining whether everything that occurs in the area of life is in line with God's will and seeking God's guidance.
3. When you feel fear of an uncertain future, you must look at the situation from a broader perspective. According to the words in verse 5 of the scripture, God led Abram outside in the dark of night. It says, “He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars - if indeed you can count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”” Why did God do this? God says this to Abram, who is anxious because of the uncertain future. “Abram, look up at the night sky. Can you count all the stars?” There are more stars in the universe than you can imagine. In the universe, there is a universe that can be observed by human science, and there is a universe that cannot be observed. In the observable universe, one galaxy is said to have about 100 billion stars. And since the number of such galaxies is said to be about 100 billion, the number of stars we can see is so enormous that it is impossible to count them by multiplying 100 billion by 100 billion. When Abram looked at the sky, it was a clean sky with no pollution, so how many stars could he have seen? Abram would have gone outside and looked at the vast and amazing universe filled with stars that were larger than grains of sand, and would have been amazed and exclaimed.
And it says in verse 6, “Abram believed the LORD. ” As Abram looked at the stars in the sky, his fear and anxiety about the future disappeared and he said, “Thank you, God. I believe in God,” he shouted. The prophet Jeremiah also once shouted in Jeremiah 32:17 saying, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.” Anyone who is in fear of an uncertain future can feel it. Thoughts and judgments become increasingly narrowed inward. Therefore, we cannot think correctly and judge correctly. Rather than counting the grace he had received so far, Abram was obsessed with what he had not yet received and was immersed in the thought, “Why is God not giving me children?” God showed Abram countless stars in the vast universe, hoping that his thoughts would not become fixed within himself and that the scope of his thoughts would expand. There is this anecdote about Columbus, who discovered the American continent in 1492. When he discovered the American continent and returned safely, a celebration was held to commemorate this.
People who were jealous of him belittled Columbus by saying, “Anyone can discover a new land by sailing on a ship, but it is not an achievement big enough to hold a celebration like this.” Columbus took out one of his eggs and said to those who had mocked him: “Which of you can make this egg stand upright?” But none of them could put the round egg stand upright. Columbus took an egg, broke the end of the egg a little, set it upright on the table, and silenced those who criticized him by saying, “The discovery of a new continent is easy to follow the route someone else discovered, but discovering it for the first time is not something that just anyone can do.” When you expand your horizons, look at the world with a wider perspective, and look at the future with the eyes of faith, you can see unseen paths and a world of answers that you could not see before. It is good to look at the sky often.
How high, blue and beautiful is the sky in Kenya? It's like a painting. The following is a prayer while looking at the blue sky. “God, I too have a lot of fear inside. I am narrow-minded. I hope you can expand my thoughts a bit. The sky where God is, is so wide, high, and blue, so how can it be that I, who call myself a child of God, have such narrow thoughts, lack judgment, and are easily discouraged and despairing?” How good would it be if you prayed, “Please enlighten my eyes and help me see high and far away to where the LORD is.” People think they can see far away during the day, but they are completely mistaken. Did you know that things that are really far away are only visible at night? Are the stars visible during the day? Can you see the moon during the day? Things that are visible during the day are not visible at night. Are you frustrated about the future? Do you have a lot of fears?
Believe that now is the time to witness God's work in the dark night of life. There is a person in Korea who is currently 70 years old and has published 25 books and instilled hope in many people. He is still active as a young man. It is said that he grew up as the son of a pastor at a small rural church during difficult times. His childhood was difficult, to the point where he was so poor that he couldn't even pack a lunch box. He said he couldn't make friends because he moved more than 10 times. It is said that he was always lonely without friends, developed aphasia, and was unable to go out the door due to social phobia, so he stayed home all day. It is said that when he was going through the dark night of his life like this from a young age, fortunately his father was a pastor, so there were a lot of books at home, so he read books all day. Many of the books he read at this time acted like brightly shining stars in the dark night sky, so he became a writer and was able to write 25 books. His representative book is 'Dreams Beyond Dreams', and even though he is 70 years old, he is still dreaming. It means that you are dreaming it.
Among you, there will be people who feel pain and wounds as if they are passing through a dark night. Like Abram, I hope that you will look at the stars in the night sky, deepen your thoughts, broaden your horizons, and look at 'dreams beyond dreams'. 4. You need a strong shield to fight off the fear of an uncertain future. In Verse 1 of the scripture, God told Abram not to be afraid and said, “I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward.” Why do we need a shield? Doesn't this mean that there is someone attacking us? Ephesians 6:16 says, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” It explains that the evil one's arrows are attacking us; the enemy devil shoots fiery arrows. Spiritually, we are now in a battlefield. Even at this very moment, the enemy devil continues to shoot fiery arrows of trials, pain, anxiety, worries, frustration, despair, disease, and failure at us. What you need at this time is a shield.
If you do not have a shield or if it is a poor one, you will suffer great losses and suffer fatal damage. It seems like Israel is trying to go to war with Iran these days. These countries are launching missiles. What would happen if hundreds or thousands of missiles were fired at a small country at once? However, it is said that Israel has a defense system called ‘Iron Dome’ that acts like a shield and is good at blocking missiles coming in drones. Without this defense system, the small country of Israel would not have been able to block the missiles well and would have suffered great damage and ultimately lost the war. I have seen African animals’ documentaries around the world on TV. Lions, leopards, etc. search for prey. And they always target the weakest.
Weak animals are so pitiful. They are completely exposed to danger, with no one or facilities to protect them. Sometimes, lions, leopards, etc. hide in the grass and watch a weak animal give birth. And as soon as the baby is born, they run out and eat it. The mother feels sorry but is helpless. One day, as I watched weak animals being bitten by lions and leopards and screaming to death, I felt sorry for the African animals, but raised my hands and shouted, “Thank You God.” This is because weak animals have no one to help them or protect them, so they helplessly become prey to fierce animals and die, but we, God's children, are protected even though we are completely exposed to the enemy devil in a world full of accidents and diseases. How grateful are we to be protected and live safely? Psalm 121:5-8 says, “The LORD watches over you - the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” God the Father protects us with his flame-like eyes.
Jesus Christ is always with us. He said the Holy Spirit is helping us even now. In addition, God has sent angels from heaven to help us always live a victorious life. CONCLUSION All people living on this earth cannot escape the feeling of fear due to the uncertain future. But God speaks saying in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” God becomes our shield, a shield that protecting us. Psalm 42:5 says, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” The fear of an uncertain future can be overcome with the power of God. When we feel anxious due to an uncertain future, we must turn to God and receive correction through His Word. When you feel fear due to an uncertain future, you can look at the situation from a broader perspective.
God becomes our strong shield to help us overcome the fear of an uncertain future. God, who is our shield, not only protects us from the attacks of the enemy devil in this harsh world, but is also the God who is able to pour out more abundantly on all our requests and thoughts. He is the God who transforms the fear of the uncertain future into gratitude and joy towards God. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will always be victorious by changing your faith and trust.
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