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 ‘We fear being sued, finishing last, going broke, the mole on the back, and the sound of the clock as it ticks us closer to the grave. Every season seems to bring fresh reasons for fear. Wouldn’t it be great to escape it? What if faith, not fear was your default reaction to threats?
According to Jesus this is possible. The one statement he made more than any other was this “don’t be afraid”. In Fearless Max Lucado presents a strong case to consider Jesus’ invitation to courage.
In his inimitable style Lucado says “fear will always knock on your door; just don’t invite it in for dinner! And for heaven’s sake don’t offer it a bed for the night.” Opening his treatise with the words of Jesus to his disciples that sound almost insensitive to us “Why are you afraid” Mathew 8:26 when they were in the middle of a seemingly life threatening storm, and the important reminder that the storm immediately followed their following Jesus into the boat, he tells us that getting on board with Christ can mean getting soaked with Christ. Exploring our fears of the unknown, a cruel world and eventual death, along with the bogey men of worthlessness, failing our loved ones or ourselves, Max Lucado applies scripture and humor to show us that our God still looks at the storm with the same power that he displayed in the boat, when the disciples were amazed at “what manner of man is this that even the winds and waves obey him.” For all avid readers of Max Lucado this one will not disappoint, for those who are not this one should not be missed, undoubtedly one of the best books I have read this year. A modern day psalmist echoing the words of Psalm 148: 8 ‘of stormy winds that do his bidding’. Nathan Andrews
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