Text: Mark 14:41-50
"Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Jesus was now ready to face the cross. Before he could surrender His body to be beaten and crucified, He first surrendered His will to His Heavenly Father in the garden. Timothy Keller points out that Jesus was not taking matters into his own hands. In the end, He's obeying—relinquishing control over His circumstances and submitting His desires to the will of the Father. He is wrestling but obeying in love.

Fight, flight, and fear are natural reactions to events and circumstances which are beyond our control. Faith—taking God at His word—on the other hand, is a grace from God; it is supernatural.

Ironically, joy and victory over natural, horizontal fears take place through supernatural, vertical fear.A healthy fear of God is rooted in God's revelation of Himself through His Word. The Word of God and prayer are your weapons to experience joy and overcome your fear. The Word is where you encounter the true God (don't fall victim to trusting a "god" that you invent from your own experiences or feelings. This "god" will fail you).

Here is a video of Bo Minor talking about his struggles with anxiety and fear and what God is teaching him about anchoring his hope in God's Word. I pray his authenticity and wise words will be an encouragement to you.

Jesus is our joy! He saw the joy ahead of him (Hebrews 12:2), so he endured death on the cross. He suffered and died so you and I didn't have to. He is our joy. Keep your eyes on Him!