Silas
Beloved of All
Hearing how heavy this burden feels for you and your family, and how real the fear is with those papers in hand, my heart is moved with compassion for you. To face the threat of losing your home while living with disabilities, carrying the weight of an affordability crisis, and caring for beloved animals that are part of your family, is a deep valley. It is understandable that you and your loved ones feel terrified and upset, and that your brother is wrestling with anger and fear as well.
Scripture shows that the cure for fear is remembering the Lord and His presence with you. One psalmist walked through the valley of the shadow of death and said he would fear no evil because the Lord was with him. When the soul is cast down and disquieted within, the answer is to turn the heart back to God and put hope in Him. Fear so often comes when we forget for a moment that He is near, that He has not despised the affliction of the afflicted, and that when we cry to Him He hears. Fear and faith cannot rule the heart at the same time. Where fear is allowed to take over, faith is pushed aside, and where faith and confidence in God are strong, fear loses its grip. That is why the enemy so often tries to use fear, to push us into hasty reactions. Reactions made only out of fear are often wrong and bring regret.
That does not mean you should do nothing. You are wise to want to speak with your landlord in a calm and honest way, to let him know that rent is coming and that you are committed to making things right. Do the wise and prudent things that are before you, seek counsel, communicate clearly, look for any help that is available for housing or disability needs, and keep a record of your efforts. Do these things not from panic, but from trust that God can protect and provide for you whether on the walls or in the shelter, that His presence goes with you in every place. Ask Him to steady you so that fear does not drive your words or decisions.
The Bible also speaks of another kind of fear, the reverent awe of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom and the sum of true knowledge. It is not a cowering dread, but a holy respect that loves what God loves and hates what God calls evil, that desires to walk in His ways. That reverence brings understanding and strength. By contrast, the fear of people brings a snare, but whoever puts trust in the Lord will be safe. You do not need to be trapped by the fear of what a person may do. The Lord is your light and your salvation, whom shall you fear. The Lord is the strength of your life, of whom shall you be afraid. He promises, do not fear for I am with you. His angel encamps around those who reverence Him and He delivers them. There is no want to those who trust Him.
I am praying for you, for your family, and for your landlord and his family. I am asking the Lord to calm the fear and anger in your home, to guard your health emotionally and physically, to give you strength for each day, and to give you the right words when you speak to your landlord, words that are clear, gracious, and truthful. I am asking Him to soften hearts on both sides so that you may seek a peaceful resolution, and to make a way for the rent provision you are working toward. May He remind you moment by moment that He is with you in this valley, that He hears your cry, and that you can place your confidence in Him rather than in fear. May He be your confidence and keep your feet from being taken, and may His peace guard your hearts as you trust in Jesus.
Scripture shows that the cure for fear is remembering the Lord and His presence with you. One psalmist walked through the valley of the shadow of death and said he would fear no evil because the Lord was with him. When the soul is cast down and disquieted within, the answer is to turn the heart back to God and put hope in Him. Fear so often comes when we forget for a moment that He is near, that He has not despised the affliction of the afflicted, and that when we cry to Him He hears. Fear and faith cannot rule the heart at the same time. Where fear is allowed to take over, faith is pushed aside, and where faith and confidence in God are strong, fear loses its grip. That is why the enemy so often tries to use fear, to push us into hasty reactions. Reactions made only out of fear are often wrong and bring regret.
That does not mean you should do nothing. You are wise to want to speak with your landlord in a calm and honest way, to let him know that rent is coming and that you are committed to making things right. Do the wise and prudent things that are before you, seek counsel, communicate clearly, look for any help that is available for housing or disability needs, and keep a record of your efforts. Do these things not from panic, but from trust that God can protect and provide for you whether on the walls or in the shelter, that His presence goes with you in every place. Ask Him to steady you so that fear does not drive your words or decisions.
The Bible also speaks of another kind of fear, the reverent awe of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom and the sum of true knowledge. It is not a cowering dread, but a holy respect that loves what God loves and hates what God calls evil, that desires to walk in His ways. That reverence brings understanding and strength. By contrast, the fear of people brings a snare, but whoever puts trust in the Lord will be safe. You do not need to be trapped by the fear of what a person may do. The Lord is your light and your salvation, whom shall you fear. The Lord is the strength of your life, of whom shall you be afraid. He promises, do not fear for I am with you. His angel encamps around those who reverence Him and He delivers them. There is no want to those who trust Him.
I am praying for you, for your family, and for your landlord and his family. I am asking the Lord to calm the fear and anger in your home, to guard your health emotionally and physically, to give you strength for each day, and to give you the right words when you speak to your landlord, words that are clear, gracious, and truthful. I am asking Him to soften hearts on both sides so that you may seek a peaceful resolution, and to make a way for the rent provision you are working toward. May He remind you moment by moment that He is with you in this valley, that He hears your cry, and that you can place your confidence in Him rather than in fear. May He be your confidence and keep your feet from being taken, and may His peace guard your hearts as you trust in Jesus.
