Don't be afraid, face your fears, God is greater than them all.

Facing your fears involves acknowledging that the worst thing you could imagine, what scares you the most, might actually happen.

Who can stand in the face of that?

No one.

Whom do you know, who has stared down the path leading to the worst possible future and didn't run away, but continued down that path, with joy?

Only one Man did it perfectly.

Jesus Christ, Son of God.

Luke 22 holds the account of Jesus's intense suffering as He contemplates what lies ahead of Him.

As He knelt down and prayed to His Abba, as the ones He invited into this secret place slept, the words fell, probably soft, probably strangled with tears, "If you are willing, take this cup from Me. YET, not as I will, but as You will."

Blood like sweat dripped down to the ground in His agony.

An angel appeared for strength, but the cup was not taken away. The Father's will remained unchanged.

Jesus did not yet experientially know what lay ahead.

But He knew what Abba's will entailed.

Taking on the very filth of mankind and the judgment for it onto His sinless, innocent self.

Facing the undeserved rejection of His creation. And, the ultimate, separation and utter forsakenness from the Father whom He was One with.

Chew on this a minute.

Jesus was left utterly alone on the cross, so we never have to be alone ever again.

The Father's will was that He should become the Curse for us; the punishment for our sins was laid upon Him.

Knowing all this, He set His face like flint (Isaiah 50:7) and faced His worst possible future, because He knew.

He knew it was His purpose.

He knew what it would achieve.

And He. Was. Faithful.

For you.

For me.

For the joy that we would bring to Him one day.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God. - Hebrews 12:2

Because of this Man, because of Him, we can also face our fears, lay aside our will, and take up our crosses to follow Him, who after He endured Golgotha's shame and agony, is seated again at the Father's right hand.

Waiting for us to enter into His rest as well.

So I consider Him.

I consider Jesus Christ, I fix my eyes on the eternity that He has won for me, and I will be able to face my fears.

Because He has done it first, for you and for me.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus! I wait for you.

S. D.