The master of an estate gave each of his servants a sum of money to invest for him. One man got five talents, the second two talents, and the third man one talent. The servants with two and five talents turned a respectable profit, while the man with one talent told his master, ‘I was afraid, and…hid your talent in the ground.’ One lesson that we can take from this story is: fear makes us unproductive. It stops us from doing what God wants us to do. Ever been so unsure and scared of going wrong that you just stayed still and ended up doing nothing, going nowhere? Or been afraid to make a change and do things differently, so you carried on with the old ways, even though you knew deep down that things could be so much better? A lot of the time, these feelings actually stem from the fear that God won’t protect us or do what He’s promised. The fear that we can’t trust Him. But in reality, the Bible’s packed with times when God kept His word. Fear’s sneaky - it disguises itself behind many different faces. We want to do things our way, or we say we’re not interested, or it’s not the right time. What we’re coming up against isn’t always a closed door - it could be repressed fear. If you’re wondering why you’re not progressing in certain areas, honestly ask yourself if hidden fear is holding you back. And if it is, ask God to help you release your fears and start trusting Him even more.

What now?
As you read your Bible, make a note or highlight every occasion when God kept His promise. Whenever you feel fear sneaking up on you, use them as a reminder that you really can trust Him.