When Faith And Fear Collide

“ Faith prompted the parents of Moses at his birth to hide him for three months, because they realized their child was exceptional and they refused to be afraid of the king’s edict.” –  Hebrews 11:23 (TPT). 

There is a story in the Bible that illustrates the intersection of fear and faith. Could there be anything that would scare parents more than what Moses’ parents were experiencing? Pharaoh, who was fearful of the rapidly growing slave population, had previously ordered the death of all male Jewish newborns. It was a death sentence for Moses. His parents hid Moses for three months, but their baby was still in danger. If Pharaoh’s guards had caught them, they would have executed the entire family. 

Imagine how carefully they had to live. If the baby cried at any time of the day or night, they had to muffle him while they tried to calm him down. They couldn’t risk having their children play with other children in the neighborhood, for fear that they would let something slip about their baby brother. If Pharaoh’s soldiers roamed the neighborhood looking for newborn baby boys, the family sat in silent terror. The circumstances of everyday life could not get worse for Moses’ parents; they had every reasonable right to be terrified. But their faith never weakened, and they were not afraid.

Could we live with such confidence? Could we live with such faith? We can live with faith if we remember that while our faith is tied to our daily circumstances, God’s promises, and provisions are never altered by daily circumstances. No matter your circumstances God is still the same. He will deliver on His promises. His provision is still more than we could ever expect. In the most terrifying moment of life, Moses’ mother and father believed by faith that God never changed. And they held on to this truth with every nerve-wracking, restless day.

Should we view the parents of Moses as being extraordinary? I don’t know. I do know, however, that the Bible is full of ordinary people with real fears and real pain that placed their faith in God, rather than placing their faith in their ability to navigate the rollercoaster of daily circumstances. Moses’ parents feared God more than men, had incredible faith in the midst of overwhelming odds.

The reason we need faith is that we will be scared.  It is in those times that we realize how much we need God. We lean on God, we depend upon God. You see, fear is always going to be a part of this thing called faith. But when faith and fear collide, faith wins the day.  

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you believe that faith overcomes fear? What would change if we believed that it did?
2. What are some of the fears we may have when it comes to following Jesus? How does the Scripture answer those fears?