When Our Greatest Fears Come True – The Story Behind “The Blessing” By Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, and Elevation Worship

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

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This week unfolded new discoveries pertaining to the nature of my chronic nerve pain. In an upright position, I appear to have pooling of venous blood in my feet that causes them to turn purple. Poor circulation in my hands and slower recovery to pressure has required me to wear heated gloves when I write to keep them warm. Within ten minutes of being out of bed, my entire legs are burning. Whether that’s from malfunctioning nerves that are misfiring or lack of oxygenation to my tissues, I don’t know. (Hopefully my skin biopsy next month will tell.) One thing I do know is these symptoms are enough to cause anyone to worry.

Some have said my symptoms are suggestive of late-stage Lyme disease, which has been shown to cause neurological issues. I’ve attended enough health conferences to know the horrific things these bacteria do to our body when not detected early. Left untreated, they can cause migraines, joint pain, and heart palpitations.

My neurologist believes damage to peripheral nerves that control vasodilation and constriction are causing narrowing of the blood vessels and sweat pores, resulting in abnormal temperature regulation, skin coloration, and pain perception. If this is true, can any position that worsens the pooling of blood in my feet lead to further damage as tissues are starved of oxygen they need? I am acutely aware that tissues with inadequate blood supply are subject to permanent damage, or even amputation.

These are the thoughts I wrestle with in my head, email to my neurologist, then wait patiently (who am I kidding—I check my inbox constantly) for his response. And yet, as a Christian, I am aware that the most frequently quoted commandment in the Bible is “Do not fear.”

“The most often repeated commandment in the Bible is ‘Do not fear.’ It’s in there over two hundred times. That means a couple of things, if you think about it. It means we are going to be afraid, and it means we shouldn’t let fear boss us around.” – Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

This quote tells us fear is normal, but it doesn’t get to control us. Author and researcher, Brené Brown, says we can be “brave and afraid all day long…it’s the choice we make while we’re holding the tension of those things.”¹

Yes, I believe courage is a choice to trust. It’s a decision to acknowledge the fear, but not let it have the final say. It is a process of continually taking our thoughts captive and surrendering to God’s guidance to direct us (2 Corinthians 10:5).

To direct us to the right doctor, pastor, or counselor; to the right tests, lab work, or treatment; to the right mindset that frees us from trying to be in control to instead rely on Christ in us to order our next steps (Proverbs 16:9).

I am finding this requires stillness and a decluttering of our mind to discern God’s guidance from our emotional reactions, information we’ve read on the Internet, and advice from well-meaning friends. It requires us to take a break from the frenzy of trying to “figure it all out” to yield each facet of our life to His direction. This includes our health, relationships, and vocation, as well as our doubts, desires, and expectations.

Choosing courage over fear is choosing to walk by faith, not by sight, trusting God to open up the way before us (2 Cor 5:7 NKJV, Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV).²

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A few weeks ago, a quote by Bob Goff led me to further explore his podcast, Dream Big. Immediately recognizing Kari Jobe (one of my favorite Christian artists and co-creator with Cody Carnes and Elevation Worship of the hit song, “The Blessing“), I chose to listen to episode 305, Declaring Truth Over Your Ambitions.³

Little did I know that God would use that episode in a powerful way to speak to me not about ambition, but fear.

At the 12:30 minute mark, Kari shared how, in 2019, after the birth of her second child, she went through a season of sadness and depression. For her mental health, a close friend invited Kari and her boys to get outside for a walk while her husband was on tour with Elevation. With her 7-week-old baby strapped in the car seat, secured tightly to the stroller, they went for a walk around a nearby lake, enjoying the beautiful scenery. When Kari’s 4-year-old fell, she turned around quickly to help him, taking her hands off the stroller.³

In a split second, the stroller—with her baby strapped in—rolled into the lake and turned upside down! Kari instinctively jumped in, describing the way the car seat broke off the stroller as a supernatural act of God. People gathered around to help rescue her son from the frigid February water. By the grace of God, they were able to get him to safety without any complications.

Completely shaken up, Kari spent some time with God when she got home while her friend watched her kids. In her closet, she poured her heart out to the Lord, telling Him she would no longer “allow sorrow and fear to steal from her life.”³ In that moment, she said she realized the thing she had feared most of all—something bad happening to her family—did happen, but God came through.

God gave her the strength she needed to save her son when she could have easily been paralyzed by fear. He provided a community to rally around her and the support of a good friend to help. He assured her that, whatever happens, He would be present. In her words, “something bad did happen, but it was okay.”³

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God supplied her every need and He promises to meet all your needs as well (Phil 4:19). In Matthew 6:26-27, Jesus says, ^“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

Allowing worry and fear to take a front-seat in our lives steals our focus and precious time, a nonrenewable resource already in short supply. The enemy wants to use worry and fear to paralyze us from moving forward and rob us of peace, but we have a choice! We can choose to pivot from allowing fear to lead us down a regrettable path toward anxiety, depression, or defeat to instead inviting it to propel us toward wholeness.

Knowing the outcome is the presence of God—and that nothing can separate us from His love—invites us to take hold of Christ’s peace (Romans 8:38-39). Bad things will happen, but God promises to use them for good (Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28). What the enemy intends to torment us—to surface fear, doubt, insecurity, and feelings of shame and worthlessness—God uses to transform us.

This incident is what helped Kari come out of her season of depression. In the podcast episode, she explains how it helped her grow, see things from a different perspective, better understand God’s character, and come out stronger on the other side.³

As Kari spoke about her fear of something that would debilitate her and “take from her life,” I felt like God was speaking directly to me and my current situation.

I promise to supply your every need (Phil 4:10). You do not need to worry about your future. So do not fear, for I am with you…I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

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In the interview with Bob Goff, Kari describes the power of declaring God’s promises over her family, herself, and the fear and disappointment that had weighed her down. The experience of her son falling into the lake ignited a passion to pray God’s blessings over her children, and it is what brings her hit song, “The Blessing,” to life.

Based on the scripture passage, Numbers 6:22-27, referred to as “The Priestly Blessing,” this prayer was given to Moses to speak over his brother, Aaron (the high priest), Aaron’s sons, and the people of Israel after wandering for years in the wilderness. In a season of uncertainty and fear, as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land, this blessing brought them comfort and peace. It’s no wonder that it resonates with people today as we continue to navigate a global pandemic, political division, racial injustice, and ongoing tension in our world.

Like Kari, we can choose not to allow sorrow and fear to steal from our life. When bad things happen, rather than rewrite our script as a doomsday narrative, we can meditate on the script God has already written for us. For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword...” (Hebrews 4:12).

God’s promises don’t protect us from everything that makes life hard, but they do free us from living in fear.

We don’t know what our future holds, but we know Who holds our future and we can trust that God is good. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t proceed with caution, question what we read, or get a second opinion. It means continuing to pray while attending appointments, taking medication as prescribed, and using common sense. Seems simple enough, but how often do we find ourselves pushing through pain or exhaustion to get things done when our body needs a break?

If you’re struggling today, I encourage you to give yourself grace. In difficult times, we can cultivate trust by sharing our deepest fears and greatest desires with God like we would a close friend. In the midst of uncertainty, we can lean on Him for peace and declare His promises over our situation.

I’d like to close by praying the lyrics to “The Blessing” over you.

The Lord bless you, and keep you. Make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you, and give you peace.

May His favor be upon you, and a thousand generations, and your family and your children, and their children, and their children.

May His presence go before you, and behind you, and beside you. All around you, and within you. He is with you, He is with you.

In the morning, in the evening. In your coming, and your going. In your weeping, and rejoicing. He is for you, He is for you.

Amen.

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Call To Action: Listen to the live version of “The Blessing” and check out the resources to fight fear and anxiety in the Mental Health section of my Freebies Library (click here), including Fear Less – 10 Strategies to Combat Stress and Anxiety. I have also written a short Bible Study, Chasing Joy – A 5-Part Study on the Book of Philippians to Find Peace and Joy that Lasts, which you can download for free here!

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References:

1. Morris, Lancey.  (2019, August 8).  22 Quotes to Inspire You to Dare to Lead from Brené Brown {From Live Event}. The Growth Faculty. Retrieved January 26^th, 2021 from https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/22QuotesDaretoLeadBrenBrown
2. Young Sarah. (2004).  Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence.  Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

3. Goff, Bob. (Host). (2020, October 28). Kari Jobe – Declaring Truth Over Your Ambitions (Episode 305). [Audio Podcast Episode]. In Dream Big Podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/mx/podcast/kari-jobe-declaring-truth-over-your-ambitions/id1458376688?i=1000496321410