FCA ResourcesDevotional
Faith Over Fear
Ready
“Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.” When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched him and how she was instantly healed. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” – Luke 8:46-48
Set
Fear, in itself, is not a sin. It’s when we let the fear overcome us and stop us from moving forward that it can harm us.
We can all think of times when we were afraid: trying out for a new team, your coach putting you in a new position, or playing in a championship. Most of the time, when we are afraid, we know what we are about to do is important, maybe even life-changing, and we don’t know the outcome. In those unknown moments, we have a choice: do we walk away and let the fear win, or do we walk forward and let our faith overcome the fear?
In Luke, we get a story of an unnamed woman whose faith overcame her fear and was healed of a sickness she had for more than 12 years. She was in a massive crowd following Jesus and knew that if she could only touch His robe, Jesus would have the power to heal her. When she got the chance, she took a step of faith and touched His robe; she was healed. That wasn’t her only step of faith.
Jesus knew He had been touched and asked who did it. Scripture tells us that she was afraid; maybe her fear was telling her she was in trouble and should be ashamed; we are not sure why she was afraid. She took an even more significant step forward and fell at Jesus’ feet, admitting she touched Him.
Her faith didn’t take away her fear at that moment; it made her overcome it. Her faith was stronger, allowing her to keep taking steps toward Jesus.
Go
- What is a step of faith you need to take toward Jesus?
- Is your fear causing you to step back from what you feel called to do?
Overtime
“Father, You do not get angry at us when we are afraid. You are with us through every fear. Equip us today to not let fear overcome our faith and trust in You. Guide us each step toward You and help us remember that it’s one step at a time with faith leading our way toward what You have in store for us.”
Group