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In our last part, we showed that Jesus delivered us from everything we could be afraid of. Therefore, if we are still afraid, we are only afraid because of what we’re not seeing of Jesus’ provision. That is a universal truth that applies to every person, in every situation. You are not the exception. People only fear because of what they’re not seeing about Jesus. That is the only source (Isaiah 26:3).

Let me give an example. Listen very closely:

Let’s say a doctor tells a man that he has a terminal illness and he’s going to die inevitably. The man is terrified. What the doctor doesn’t tell him is that, on the nightstand next to him there is a cure for that illness. The cure works every time and would cure him this very day. Sort of an important piece of information the doctor left out.

If that man continues to be terrified of his illness, is he terrified because of his circumstance? Or is he terrified because he doesn’t know what’s sitting on his nightstand? I’ll tell you, if that man goes another minute terrified in fear, it would only be because he’s ignorant of that cure sitting right next to him. I think everyone could agree with that. Ignorance is what caused his fear.

Likewise, if a doctor gives you a diagnosis, most people would feel perfectly justified in being afraid. But if you’re afraid of a diagnosis, you’re only afraid because you don’t realize Jesus provided a powerful, all-encompassing cure, and placed it right inside of you. Like that man, you’re not afraid of your circumstance. You’re afraid because of what you don’t know about the cure. And the doctor probably left that part out.

Let me give you another example:

Let’s say a woman is already in overwhelming debt, and an unexpected bill comes in that will likely leave her and her family homeless. She is terrified and can’t sleep that night. What she didn’t know is, sitting in her mailbox that night was a multi-million-dollar check from an inheritance she received from a rich relative. 

When she couldn’t sleep that night for fear, was it really because of her circumstance? Was it really because of her bills? Or was it because she was ignorant of the inheritance sitting in her mailbox? I’ll tell you, that fear was only because of her ignorance. She could have slept soundly that night had she known what she had from the death of her rich Relative. 

Likewise, God has already provided for every area of your life at the cross, whether that be financial or otherwise. You’ve got an inheritance sitting right inside of you, ready to be used, ready to rectify whatever it is. If you can’t sleep at night for fear, it’s not because your circumstance is so bad. Like that woman, you’re afraid because you don’t know your inheritance through the death of Jesus. This is not applicable to some people. This is applicable to every person that has so much as a butterfly in their stomach. Jesus provided so much, we could not fear except for ignorance.

If that sick man realized the cure was sitting on his nightstand, his terror would turn into hope as he gobbled down that cure.

If that woman realized the inheritance in her mailbox, her fear would turn to excitement, dreaming about all the good things she would do with that money.

An anxious, negative view of your future turns into pure excitement and hope when you get a hold of what you have access to in Jesus. Nothing can get you down when you’re perfected in His love. You’re too rich for fear. Fear is for poor people.

Psalms 112:7 (NKJV) He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

Your cure is not on your nightstand. Your inheritance is not in a mailbox. It’s closer and more powerful. Your answer is living right inside of you. It’s Jesus. His power is in you, in the spiritual realm, but it manifests into the physical realm if you’ll just learn about it. It’s not a fantasy. It’s not too good to be true. It’s a real life, practical solution, that makes tangible change.

The problem is, most Christians don’t realize what they have because it’s unseen at first (Ephesians 1:3). And if they don’t see it, most don’t believe it. But God wants to open the eyes of your mind to what you have (Ephesians 1:18). He wants to show you the provision He made for you. And when you truly see what you have access to, it will cast out all fear, leaving nothing but perfect peace and joy. It’s not far-fetched. That can be you. You’re an eyeful-of-Jesus away.

Let me give you one last example, but this one is from scripture. It’s one of the best pictures of how fear leaves.

There was a prophet named Elisha, who was staying in a particular city with his servant. The king of Syria sent an entire army which surrounded the city where they were, intending to capture Elisha. The servant rose up early in the morning to find they were surrounded. Not the best way to wake up. He came to Elisha very afraid, but look at what Elisha did:

2 Kings 6:15-17 (NKJV) And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he, [Elisha], answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Curious. Elisha and his servant saw the same Syrian army. Yet, Elisha wasn’t afraid and his servant was. What was the difference? Elisha saw something that his servant didn’t. It wasn’t that Elisha was braver. It wasn’t that Elisha was focused on others more than himself. It wasn’t that Elisha was being optimistic and making the most of it. No, Elisha had his eyes opened. That’s why he wasn’t afraid. 

And when his servant was afraid, what’s the only thing that Elisha prayed for? Did he pray that his servant would stop fearing? Did he pray for his servant’s emotions? Nope. He simply asked the Lord, “Open his eyes that he may see.” And the servant saw the heavenly army surrounding Elisha. It was already there a moment ago, but he just wasn’t seeing it. The thing that cast out that servant’s fear was his eyes being opened to what he already had.

When that servant first saw the army surrounding them, I’m sure he felt justified in his fear. After all, look at the evidence! But his fear was completely unjustified because he was misinterpreting the evidence. He wasn’t seeing the whole picture. He wasn’t seeing the scene in light of the provision of Jesus. Facts weren’t causing his fear. Ignorance was causing his fear, as always. Therefore, the only thing he needed was to have his eyes opened, and voilà, he wasn’t afraid anymore. That easy.

If you’re ever afraid, it’s because you see a physical circumstance, but you’re not seeing the spiritual provision for it. You’re seeing yourself surrounded by this problem, but you’re not seeing the “chariots of fire,” so to speak. You’re only seeing the physical. You’re not seeing all the spiritual blessings inside of you. You’re not seeing Jesus’ once-for-all provision for your circumstance.

Sure, if you’re only looking at your physical problem, it probably looks scary. Just like that servant. When he only saw the physical problem, it looked pretty scary. But once his eyes were opened and he saw into the spiritual, his fear just melted. He realized that his problems were overwhelmed and outnumbered by the provision of God! What looked scary a second ago, now looked kind of funny. The Syrian army looked so small. It looked so harmless. It looked so finished. That poor Syrian army. They didn’t realize what they had coming! And your poor problem, it doesn’t realize what it’s got coming to it. That is, if you’ll start acknowledging what you’ve got.

The story ends with God blinding the Syrian army, and Elisha led them by the hand, fed them, and then sent them home with their tails between their legs. Guess how the story ends up in your circumstance when you choose to lift your eyes, and see more than the physical? Exactly.

Jesus provided more than enough for you and qualified you to access it (Colossians 1:12). It’s so vast and overwhelming, you couldn’t be afraid without lacking knowledge of it. Sometimes, you need to learn it for the first time. Sometimes, you just need to remember what you know. Regardless, the answer is, “LORD, I pray, open my eyes that I may see.” And then start learning.

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