Give to the Winds Thy Fears
MARCH 4, 2024

“Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,” says the Lord, “for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand. And I will show you mercy.”
Jeremiah 42:11-12

Recommended Reading: Jeremiah 42:7-12
A British newspaper carried an article by a woman who wrote, “I have a visitor that stops me [from] sleeping, wakes me early in the morning and hangs around most days uninvited and unwanted; I am living with fear.” The woman described her insecurities and anxieties, explaining how she lived in the grip of fear.1

The survivors of the siege of Jerusalem were fearful too, but the Lord told them not to be afraid but to release their fears. He—their Almighty God—was with them to save them and show them mercy. As Jeremiah 42 unfolds, we find that the survivors rejected God’s plea—and their fears became realities.

When we’re fearful, we should own our fears by admitting them before God in confession. We should vigorously remind ourselves God will deliver us. And we should thank Him for His promises, presence, protection, and overcoming providence.

Give to the wind thy fears, hope and be undismayed; God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears; God shall lift up thy head.
Paul Gerhardt

Marin, “The Heat or Eat Diaries,” The Guardian, March 8, 2023.