It is natural for humans to experience fear and worry, especially in the face of unavoidable threats. They are the body's natural mechanism for responding to danger, but it is not good for them to overwhelm and dominate us. When this happens, it impairs our ability to assess events and make logical decisions. As believers, we are also taught to overcome fear in complete surrender to God. This is the message we can take away from the following passage.

This reading takes a very concrete crisis situation, the Syro-Ephraimite war in the 8th century BC. At that time King Ahaz ruled Judah. The kingdoms of Syria (under Rezin) and Northern Israel/Ephraim (under Pekah) formed an alliance. They wanted to force Judah to join forces against the great power of Assyria. Ahaz refused to join them, as a result Rezin and Pekah laid siege to Jerusalem to force Ahaz to submit to their wishes. Great fear loomed over the kingdom of Judah. Their lives were on the brink of destruction.

It was then that through Isaiah, God encouraged Judah. With an intimate greeting, He told His people not to fear and lose heart. He compared Judah's two enemies to two smoking butts of wood, to say that the threat was real but not as great as imagined. So God gave assurance that the enemy's plan would not be carried out. They would not succeed in bringing Judah down. The choice now lay with Ahaz, whether to trust God and overcome his fears or to dwell on his own limitations.

Our lives are often full of challenges and struggles that make us tremble. But just like God's promise to Judah, we can also hope in God's promise. He will not abandon us in life's difficulties, no matter how difficult they are. So the choice lies with us, whether we want to be cloaked in worry and fear, or continue to walk boldly with the promise of His provision.