Learning to live unafraid

Clouds blocked the sun and turned the sky an ominous black as I approached Prince George, British Columbia. I’d traveled that road more than twenty times, but I’d never seen clouds so menacing. They hovered like a bully with hands on hips, defying my approach. I felt certain they would hurl hailstones if I came closer. I could only imagine how large those hailstones might be.

Life’s Storm Clouds

Like those storm clouds, global events have turned the horizon an ominous black. Uncertainty about the war in the Middle East and Ukraine hovers. Who knows what the future holds and what the fallout might be far and wide?

Closer to home, the rising cost of food and housing challenges us to stretch an already tight budget. And behind closed doors, most of us face dark clouds of a personal nature: health issues, strained family relationships, marriage struggles, parenting challenges, caregiving, and the loss of a loved one, to name a few.

Staring at those black clouds leads to fear, and fear robs us of peace, joy, and a good night’s sleep. God never intended for us to live that way. He wants His children to flourish in freedom from fear, so He revealed His character to us through His Hebrew names. Why? Because understanding who God is enables us to trust Him more. Know God, no fear.

Three names of God that help us live unafraid

When life’s storm clouds cast a shadow across your path and the fear of what they hold looms large, turn to the truth of who God is. Here are three names that will restore your courage as you learn to live from their truth.

Yahweh Shammah – “the LORD is there” (Ezekiel 48:35) I often catch myself praying, “God, be with me today.” When I do, I remind myself that He already answered this prayer by coming in human form to dwell among mankind (Philippians 2:5-8). Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised to send His Spirit to live in us (John 14:16-18), and He promised to be with us to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

The late clergyman, teacher, and author Thomas Keating said, “We rarely think of the air we breathe, yet it is in us and around us all the time. In similar fashion, the presence of God penetrates us, is all around us, is always embracing us.”

We can live unafraid because the living God, the creator of heaven and earth, is with us at all times and everywhere we go. Incredible, right? And as for the future? He’s already there to guide us through the storm. 

Yahweh Yireh – “the LORD will provide” (Genesis 22:14) As a career missionary living on faith support for more than 30 years, I experienced the fear of lack repeatedly until I began to understand God’s character as revealed through this name.

Yahweh denotes God’s power to provide for our needs, but it also infers a highly personal interest in us. In Hebrew, the root word for Yireh means “to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.”

Combined, this name means God sees our needs in advance, perceives our thoughts and feelings about them, and meets them at precisely the right time in His perfect way. He not only provides for our needs, He enters the experience surrounding those needs with us.

In retrospect, I see my fear as an indicator of doubt about this aspect of God’s character. In reality, God hasn’t always given me the things I’ve perceived as needs, but He has always supplied for my genuine needs. He’ll do the same for you. Because of who He is – the LORD, our provider – we can live in confidence that He will care for us.

Yahweh Tzevaot – “the LORD of hosts” (1Samuel 1:11; 1Samuel 17:45-47) Sometimes life’s storm clouds seem impenetrable. Our circumstances appear impossible to overcome, and fear looms large. When I face such situations, I recall the story of David and Goliath.

Goliath stomped toward David and hurled death threats at the boy, but David refused to be intimidated. He ran towards the giant and claimed victory in the name of Yahweh Tzevaot. By doing so, he acknowledged God’s almighty power and authority as the LORD of heaven’s armies for whom nothing is impossible.

When the storm rolls in and blocks the sun, let’s remember that we don’t face it in our own strength. The LORD of hosts fights for us, and everything is possible for Him. 

Black, ominous-looking clouds will roll in sooner or later, but they can neither block the Son nor separate us from His love. As we live from the truth of who God is, we can face the storms unafraid. 

Grace Fox is a popular speaker at women’s events, a member of the First 5 Bible study writing team (Proverbs 31 Ministries), and the award-winning author of 14 books. She lives on a sailboat fulltime in Richmond, BC. Her new Bible study, Names of God: Living Unafraid, is available wherever Christian books are sold. www.gracefox.com