I confess that the greatest battle in my life is the battle of fear. There are times that I have been so fearful that I have lay in bed shaking in my dread. I have suffered many sleepless nights, troubled days, wasted hours imagining outcomes, and I have devoted countless hours at times to allowing fear to darken my mind and cloud my soul. I have also seen some of my biggest fears come to pass. That most certain weighs deeply in my struggle with fear. My biggest fears center around people and the future.
Many times in my life I fear people. People often times seem very big to me and God seems small. Here are some of my fears Perhaps some of you can relate:
Abandonment
Rejection
Betrayal
Hurting me
Giving up on me in my imperfections
Not accepting me once they know me
Trying to control me
Disapproval
Here are some of my fears of the future:
Ministry failure
Being left to myself and my own decision making ability
Old age
Unhappiness
My worst fears all happening
Utter poverty
Loneliness
Uselessness
Wasting my life
God forsaking me.
I am glad that I am not alone in my fears. Even in the Bible, we can see where men were stalked by their fears:
-Abraham lied about Sarah out of fear - Genesis 12:11-13
-Jacob displayed fear of Esau - Genesis 32:6-8
-Moses feared Pharaoh - Exodus 2:14
-Moses feared Rejection - Exodus 4:1
-The Disciples feared the storm - Matthew 8:24-26
What makes fear even more difficult for me in my struggle with fear is that over and over in scriptures we hear God demanding us to “be not afraid”(ex. John 6;20;14;27; Acts 18:9; 27:24; 1 Peter 3;14; Revelation 1:17). Often times when I am afraid I will hear this demand and all I can feel is more discouragement because God demands of me something that is the opposite of what I am feeling and how can I stop feeling fear when I feel fear? God says, “Be not afraid’ but I feel that “I am afraid.” What’s the way to overcome fear and to obey His command to not fear? Is there a solution?
Please reread what I wrote on October 10 titled LEARNING TO TALK TO YOURSELF INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO YOURSELF. You deal with fear by battling unbelief. And you battle unbelief by confessing your fears to God, meditating on God's Word, speaking it to yourself, and asking for the help of his Spirit. The windshield wipers are the promises of God that clear away the mud of unbelief. And the windshield washer fluid is the help of the Holy Spirit. Without the softening work of the Holy Spirit the wipers of the Word just scrape over the blinding clumps of unbelief. Both are necessary—the Spirit and the Word. We must read the promises of God and speak them to yourself; and then we we pray for the help of his Spirit. So I want to receive the promises of God, and promises from God are the key that leads from the dungeon of fear. So consider these and do not be afraid.
1. We will not die apart from God's gracious decree for His children.
If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. (James 4:15)
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29–31)
See now that 1, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. (Deuteronomy 32:39) (See also Job 1:21; 1 Samuel 2:6; 2 Kings 5:7.)
2. The plans of man including your enemies do not succeed apart from our gracious God.
The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. (Psalm 33:10)
Take counsel together [you peoples], but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us. (Isaiah 8:10) (See also 2 Samuel 7:14; Nehemiah 4:15.)
3. Man cannot harm us beyond God's gracious will for us.
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)
In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 56:11)
4. God promises to protect His own from all that is not finally good for them.
Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. (Psalm 91:14)
5 God promises to give us all we need to obey, enjoy, and honor Him forever.
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?"...Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31–33)
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
6. God is never taken off guard.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:4)
7. God will be with us, help us, and uphold us in trouble.
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
"For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, `Fear not, I am the one who helps you."' (Isaiah 41:13)
8. Terrors will come, some of us will die, but not a hair of our heads will perish.
Then [Jesus] said to them, ". . . there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.... and some of you they will put to death.... But not a hair of your head will perish." (Luke 21:10-11, 18)
9. I am immortal till it is God's appointed hour.
So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. (John 7:30) (See also John 8:20; 10:18.)
10. When God Almighty is your helper, none can harm you beyond what He decrees.
So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)
If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
11. God's faithfulness is based on the firm value of His name,not the fickle measure of our obedience.
And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil.... For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake." (1 Samuel 12:20—22)
12. The Lord, our protector, is great and awesome.
Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome. (Nehemiah 4:14)
13.The battle is the Lord's
“Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15).
14. God loves to comfort us in scary times.
I, I am he that comforts you; so are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass?” (Isaiah 51:12)
Warring over my fear for my peace and his glory,
Pastor Bill
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