Faith Over Fear: Thoughts That Inspire Art

Faith over Fear. Devotion Scripture Genesis 24:1-28.
In this wild encounter with “Stranger Danger” Rebecca chooses faith over fear.
And inspired a free art printable for you.

Faith Over Fear: Genesis 24:1-28

I read these verses this morning, about a servant and his camels and a girl who gave him water.

Just think about it with me, the way Rebekah might have…

The young girl trips along the dusty, well-trodden path, water pot perched on her shoulder.  Bird-song fills the air and Rebekah’s heart with an expectant joy.  The grass seems greener and the wildflowers brighter.

Why?

She feels anticipation.  As if an important event is on the calendar.  As if she should hurry, so she can get back home to prepare.  But she knows of nothing…  

Rebekah’s steps slow as she nears the well.  A strange man is there, head bowed. Is he praying?  She should not intrude.

He senses her presence and raises his head slowly.  Then his gaze meets hers.  A strange feeling of… recognition?..  jolts her.

The man speaks, and he speaks in the language of her own family.  “Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.”

“Of course,” replies Rebekah, breathless. Then she lowers the pitcher down into the crystal water and draws it up full.  “Drink, my lord!”

He drinks.  She notices his laden beasts watching him, also.

“I will draw water for your camels, sir.” 

Back and forth she runs until the trough for the animals is full.  

Then she pauses, uncertain, fearful.

Before she can speak, the man reaches into his saddlebags.  He pulls out a small pouch. He loosens the golden cords, and draws out a sparkling ear ring.

Rebecca gasps.  She shrinks back.  What is this man doing?

All she did was draw water!  Is he a thief?

Fear freezes her for a few beats.

The man seems totally weird, asking who her family is. Rebekah’s “stranger danger” wants to kick in but something tells her to be kind.  Maybe it’s her training, maybe it’s God.  She offers him a bed and fodder for his animals.

Then the man replies, “Praise God, for He has led me to my Master’s relatives.”

A flag of fear flutters within as she races down the path to her home.  She doesn’t look back to see if the guest is following.

She’s got to get to her mom and sisters and tell them.

They’ll laugh about it and the fear will go away.

It will just be a good story, maybe even become a good memory…

Won’t it?

Faith can overcome Fear

I can’t completely imagine Rebekah’s situation.

But it happens every day, doesn’t it?

Every single day, we have to squash fears. We have to review the Promises that God is greater than fear. We draw on faith to conquer worry and fretting and fear and do all the things, like Rebekah drew water from the well in a scary situation.

Just last Sunday we had a distressing family situation looming.  So I asked my friends to pray that we’d find a way through. Three days later…  Three Days, friends… God sent a solution.

I absolutely never had a clue that there would be, could be, an answer to our dilemma. However, just Three Days later, there it was.

And you know what last weekend was, right? It was Easter, the three days that God used to solve the problem of sin in the world. (I apologize if that over-simplifies the miracle of the cross.)

This week, because this experience strengthened my faith, I was inspired to create this art. And I want to share it with you as a gift, so that perhaps it will encourage you to continue to let faith overcome fear.

Faith: Martin Luther Quote Printable

Sign up to our email family in this form and request this 8″x10″ Faith Over Fear free printable. (You may also purchase it as a 5″x7″ card or a 11″x14″ poster to print.)

Use the form at the bottom of the page for the download.