Fear is a powerful emotion. It can cause us to stop using logic. It can force us to stop whatever we are doing and focus on one thing. Many of us are afraid of the dark, or falling, or death, or, like me, spiders. Fear is a real emotion that everyone feels at one time or another. Sometimes we have to face our fears, and it is never fun. There is one benefit of having a Heavenly Father: He is there with us in our fear so we do not need to be afraid.
Psalms 23:4 is the famous verse, "even thought I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." This means that we have nothing to fear, even in the scariest place on earth, because God is with us protecting us. He comforts us. What can be more comforting than that? After knowing that He can protect us from the scariest place on Earth, it is clear that He will protect us from spiders. Over in Isaiah 41:13, He even says, "for I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear, I will help you." He holds us by the hand and helps us, just as a parent holds a child's hand when they cross the street so they do not fear cars. Our Father is with us, even in our fear.
Sometimes our fears are not spiders or the darkness. Sometimes we fear our situations and do not know what to do. Luckily, God is there for us even then. In Exodus 14:13, "Moses answered the people , 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring to you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." Moses made a bold statement. He said to hold on because God will deliver them. Deliverance, in this context, basically means that God will take them out of a situation and into safety. Moses was right, because the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians. The same can be said for us. If God did it for His children once, He can do it for them again. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." That is a powerful statement when you are afraid. It is hard to be strong when we are afraid, much less courageous; but God is with us and He goes with us. If our God is with us, who could ever stop us? He will not leave you during your struggle. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will never walk away or say that you are not good enough for His help. He will be there supporting you the whole time. If you are on His side, He will get you through it.
2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness, but of power and love and discipline." God did not intend for us to be afraid. He gives us power and love. He can supply us more power whenever we need us. Fear is not of God. Love is of God. When fear of any kind comes, God gives us power to overcome it. Psalms 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" This is a true statement as well! If God is the one that saved me, who is there to fear? The words of others mean nothing now because God is our judge, not them. We are no longer a part of their world, and their words mean nothing. God is in control of my life, who can harm me? No one. Who can rip my life out of God's hands? No one. Who can trick my life out of God's hands? No one! My life is safe in God's hands because no one is stronger, faster, or smarter than God. When I give my life to Him, He is in complete control no matter what others say.
In Luke 1:30, an angel appears to Mary to tell her good news. One key things that he says to her is, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God." If we have favor with God, as every Christian does, than what do we have to fear? God is looking over us. With this in mind, "we say with confidence, 'the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6) God is on our side, so what can man do to us? Our souls are saved and our lives are in God's hands. Who is equal to God? No one. So who should we fear? No one.
Fear is an irrational state of mind because it is such a powerful emotion; but we have something that can overcome this fear and tame it. In John 14:27, Jesus gives us a gift. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." The gift that Jesus gave us was His peace. His peace is unlike the world's peace, because the world's peace is delicate and can be easily broken. His peace can withstand the trials of fear and disruption. We cannot treat is as the world's peace. It is not delicate. It can only be disturbed if we allow it to be. Even in the midst of our situation, thanks to the peace that Jesus gave us, we can still praise God and worship Him and walk with a smile. We can still be joyful.
When we are afraid, we must remind ourselves who walks with us. Whether is it darkness, a spider, or a situation, our God is greater than our fears. There is no one who can overcome our God. We must pray for peace and let God take control when we become afraid. We can rest in Him, knowing that He has everything under control for us. If our God is with us, what could stand against us? Nothing. Our God is greater than any fear that we have, and that is something worth praising!
-D
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