You Can Feel Fear and Still Respond in Faith - Javan Smith - Charis Daily - Season 16 Ep. 5

Key message

• When you receive a negative or frightening report, you can choose how to respond: initial fear/reaction is possible, but it shouldn’t define your faith response.
• The core contrast is reacting to bad news vs. responding in faith based on God’s word.

Wellness / self-care strategy (emotional regulation through faith)

• Don’t let fear become the “period.” Fear can be an initial reaction, but you “respond in faith” by immediately shifting attention back to God.
• Set your heart beforehand (a prepared/steadfast mindset) so you’re less likely to be shaken when news arrives.
  • Psalm 112 emphasizes a heart that is steadfast/established/prepared and not afraid of “evil tidings.”

Faith-response framework for bad health news

Use a “comma” approach

• “I feel fear” (reaction)
• AND then I do what faith says (response)

This mirrors Jehoshaphat: he feared, but then he sought the Lord and acted (fasted, prayed).

Seek the Lord rather than only the narrative of worst-case scenarios

• Bad reports often trigger mental imagery/dread; faith counteracts this by refocusing on God.

Scripture-based examples used to reinforce the method

Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20)

• He feared when he heard the report, but his fear didn’t end the matter.
• He set himself to seek the Lord, proclaimed a fast, and prayed: “Our eyes are on you.”
• Result: God brought victory and “spoils” (blessing) out of what looked like defeat.

Jesus and Jairus (Mark 5:35–36)

• When the update came (“your daughter is dead”), Jesus immediately said:
  • “Do not be afraid. Only believe.”
• Point: fear can be activated in a report, but a faith response can counter it quickly.

Wrong responses (contrasts)

• King Ahaz (Isaiah 7:2): hearts moved like trees in the wind (fear-driven instability).
• Moab (Numbers 22:3): “sick with dread” (fear intensifies the condition emotionally and spiritually).

Asa (2 Chronicles 14; 16)

• Asa trusted God against overwhelming odds (“nothing for you to help…”), then later drifted.
• His drift led to leaning on human help, and ultimately he did not seek the Lord but the physicians in his later illness.
• Clarification: going to a doctor isn’t condemned—the issue is neglecting the Lord and leaning on flesh/people instead.

Key productivity/discipline principle (inner “anchoring”)

• Prepare and stay anchored so you don’t drift:
  • Even people with major faith victories can later shift into dependence on human strategies if they don’t keep their hearts fixed on God.

Wellness + healing emphasis (what to believe when diagnosis conflicts)

• Believers shouldn’t prioritize the “evil report” over God’s truth.
• Principle:
  • Believe God’s Word (“By his stripes, you are healed”) as evidence for the unseen.
• A “lie” is defined as anything that disagrees with God’s word, even if it feels fact-based through external evidence.

Illustrative concept: “False evidence appearing real” (F.E.A.R.)

Jacob and Joseph’s coat (Genesis 37; Genesis 45)

• Jacob believed a lie (“Joseph is dead”) based on falsified evidence (bloodied, torn coat).
• Later, when real truth came (Joseph alive, ruling Egypt), Jacob didn’t believe until he saw overwhelming proof (two carts).

Takeaway: Don’t believe a lie more readily than God’s truth. Faith is presented as the evidence of things unseen, not dependent on reports confirming what the Word already says.

Presenters / sources (as mentioned)

• Javan Smith (presenter)
• Barry Bennett (Caris Bible College instructor; mentioned as a source of an observation)
• Andrew W. (Andrew Wicks) (mentioned for the booklet The Truth About Healing / teaching referenced: God Wants You Well)

Scriptural sources quoted/referenced

• Psalm 112
• 2 Chronicles 20; 2 Chronicles 14; 2 Chronicles 16
• Mark 5
• Isaiah 7
• Numbers 22
• Jeremiah 17
• Genesis 37; Genesis 45
• (Mentioned but not quoted directly in detail) stories involving Lazarus, Peter, Gyrus/Jairus