A Prayer for the Melancholy and Fearful

Paul Tautges

Lord, strengthen the weak hands, and steady the feeble knees. Say to those that have a fearful heart, ‘Be encouraged, have no fear.’ Answer them with comforting words that are suited to their distress. Say to them, ‘Cheer up! Your sins are forgiven. Have confidence! It is I. Have no more fear. For I am your salvation.’ Let them hear the voice of joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice. (Isa 35:3-4; Heb 12:12; Zech 1:13; Matt 9:3; Mark 6:50; Ps 35:3; 51:8).

Rebuke Satan the tempter, the one who constantly accuses the brothers. Covenant Lord, rebuke him, for you have chosen Jerusalem despite the filth of its sin. Let tempted, troubled souls be as brands plucked right out of a blazing fire. Give special help to those who are so overwhelmed with problems that they refuse to be comforted. Be with them when every remembrance of you troubles them. Enable them to trust the final outworkings of your mercy. Let them be confident that in due time they will rejoice in your salvation. Though you slay them, let them keep trusting you (Zech 3:2; Ps 77:2-3; 13:5; Job 13:15).

All your waves and your billows engulf me. The depths of the waters below echo the depths of the waters above as the downpours descend from you. Yet command your lovingkindness for me throughout the day. Let your song be with me in the night, for I will direct my prayer to you, the God of my life. Though my soul is cast down and deeply disturbed, enable me to continually hope in you. In the end, let me praise you. Let experience repeatedly teach me that you are the source of my good health, and you alone are my God (Ps 42:7-8, 11).

Refresh the life of an upright spirit in me. Do not cast me away from your presence. Never take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of my salvation, and put in me a spirit willing to be led by you. Let my tongue sing aloud of your righteousness, and show forth your salvation. Pull me out of this slimy pit, this mire and muck. Set my feet on a rock. Steady my steps and put a new song in my mouth, even praises to my God. Make me glad for as many days as you have afflicted me, for as many years as I have seen trouble (Ps 51:10-14; 71:15; 40:2-3; 90:15).

Though for a brief moment you have banished your people from your presence, yet in your great compassion restore them to yourself once more. Though you have hid your face from them, have mercy on them according to your everlasting kindness. By the blood of Christ purge all guilt from their conscience. Let your Spirit bear firm witness with their spirits that they are your children (Isa 54:7-8; Heb 10:14, 22; Rom 8:16).

[From Matthew Henry’s book, A Way to Pray]

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/10/30/a-prayer-for-the-melancholy-and-fearful/

“Fear not, for God has heard...” Genesis 21:17

By Kaitlin Young

I’ve always been drawn to the story of Hagar, perhaps because I love seeing the heart God has for those who are lost and broken. Since becoming a mother, her story resonates on an even deeper level, as I understand with new depth the desperate breaking of her heart as she sat alone in the desert, away from her son, not able to bear the thought of watching him die.

In my childhood, I would pour over old copies of a National Geographic collection and I would soak in the photos of people and places and ways of life so unlike my own. Now in a later generation, where news and photos reach the masses nearly instantaneously, I see the stories in real time. In the middle of the night, when I’d be rocking my daughter to sleep, I’d have tears streaming down my face as I’d center in on photos of Rohingya women and children escaping, or the babies strapped to their mama’s backs fleeing from South Sudan, or the migrants waiting with their little ones on a boat or in a line for refuge. My mind would wonder, “what would I do if that were me?” It’s by God’s grace it isn’t me at this present moment. I’d wonder how one decides to leave everything you know and risk their life and their loved ones’ lives because anything is

better than where you are? What do you do when you have no idea if you can provide safety or sustenance for the children in your care? And so, I’d rock my child and my heart would break for these women who I so desperately wanted to love and had no idea how other than to pray.

Being a parent changed my perspective in many ways. I knew that would happen, you just never know exactly how until you’re in it. I’ve struggled with anxiety in the past – as a biblical counselor, I can quickly identify it’s usually my desire to be in control. The Lord has worked on my heart in this in many ways over the years and I’ve seen Him help me in victories and when I’m struggling most. The sanctification process is a beautiful thing to look on, but, since there isn’t an end to this process until glorification – I know there will be times when my desire for control is going to want to rule my heart more than Christ. I will be given more opportunities to grow.

As any person who likes things neat and orderly and all – I sometimes, in my pride, have anticipated the ways God is going to test me on this. So, in preparing to become a parent, I prayed and reminded myself that my child is going to show me how little control I have. Often. I figured my child’s schedule or willpower would be the test of that. And, because the Lord doesn’t allow me to dictate the comfort of how my sanctification is going to be walked out, it really wasn’t that much at all .

It never occurred to me how much I would grapple with the weight of responsibility in those early days and all of the things that were going on outside in the world I couldn’t control. I so desperately wanted to protect my daughter. In my head, I know God is in control, that He loves her more than I ever could and has a good plan for her life. In my heart, I wrestled with not trusting that something could happen to her. I work in a place where I hear of tragedy and trial, perhaps more disproportionately than most and I had to work through anxiety that something wouldn’t happen to her too.

This is where I remember Hagar. Alone in the desert and pregnant, she is met and acknowledges “El Roi” – the name of God that says He sees. She is to name her son Ishmael, meaning “God hears.” Here is a servant woman from a pagan nation sitting alone in the middle of nowhere and God reminds her that He sees her. He hears her. In a very real and personable way. We too, get to know a God who sees and hears us. Every tear, every fear, every thought in our mind and desperate plea – God knows. So

in those moments, when I am not sure what is going to happen, I can be comforted and reminded that God sees me and hears me.

Years later, as Hagar is now sent away into the desert, this time with her son, she is reminded yet again that God hears. He tells her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard t he voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad...” (Genesis 21:17-18a). God graciously met her yet again. He did not leave her just to remember words spoken long before, but met her once again and in compassion provided for their needs, physically and spiritually in reminding her who He is. God’s command not to fear is next followed by an action (“arise”). So when I am tempted to be afraid I can:

1) Remember who God is! Whether this passage or any in Scripture that describes God’s heart, His power, and His sovereignty in all things. I need to remember the God I love.

2) Repent – when I reflect on my own heart in fearful moments, I need to see what I am worshipping that is not God. For me, that’s often a desire to know and have security in outcomes I feel are out of my control. I need to repent of that pride in wanting things my way, instead of trusting God. His plan is better, He is greater, and I am crazy in thinking I could do it best!

3) Take action – I can pray, I can sit with Scripture, I can talk through and ask for wisdom from others, I can serve, and I can love in the ways God has called me to. I need to arise and get busy taking care of what God has placed as my responsibility day by day and leave the rest in His capable care.

I had a dream about a month after my child was born. There was an earthquake, and even though she was right next to me, no matter what I did I couldn’t reach her. I woke up completely panicked. Not even a month later, I was up in the night with her and we did have an earthquake. While relatively small(and honestly, I was so sleep deprived,I

verified other people felt it on Facebook because I thought after my dream maybe I was making it up in my head), I remember rocking her and thanking and praising God. He knew. H e was so kind to care for my heart and have me already up and holding my daughter when that earthquake hit. Now, He is still good and loving regardless of whether that was how He determined this event would go. But He saw me and was so gracious to allow me to hold and care for my little one with the same protective care He places over His children. He loves us so much.

What are you struggling with when it comes to fear? Do you trust that your Father is El Roi – the God who sees? Who sees you and sees all you have faced and all you will ever walk through? Do you trust that He is the God who hears? Who inclines His ear to you as you call to Him and delights to hear from you? Pour out your heart to the God who knows you and walks with you. Just like a mother who was one alone, broken and fearful, God meets you. Do not be afraid.

Fear Not

By Darcy Pearson

Are you a worrywart? Are your thoughts continually examining life’s circumstances? Are you consumed by irrational or catastrophic thinking? It is no wonder. Life is full of difficulties, diseases, dangers, toils, and death. Fears abound. We live in a scary and deadly world as the first nine months of 2020 has revealed.

Let us recap 2020 so far. First, there were apocalyptic wildfires engulfing Australia. Then the Iranian regime shot down a Ukrainian airliner killing all 176 people. This was one of several events that caused tension between the US and Iran, having the potential for war. Next came the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. I can never remember waking up to the news giving a death toll number each and every day. On the heels of this ongoing disease we have had unprecedented social and racial unrest due to the death of George Floyd May 25.th This event is still causing polarizing violence and destruction across America today. Plus, we have had earthquakes in Turkey and the Caribbean , a locust swarm in Africa, the sobering and tragic helicopter death of Kobe Bryant, murder hornets, devastating floods in Indonesia, riots in Delhi, a volcanic eruption in the Philippines, the stock market crash in March, and recently a major explosion in Beirut. The unemployment rate is 8.4% this month down from the top of 14.7% in April but far above a typical rate of 3.5%. And now the entire Western half of the US is on fire with millions of acres being destroyed and poor air quality for everyone in these states. The world is vastly different now than it was a short 9 months ago. Most people do not “feel” safe. Many are fretting, experiencing growing worry and anxiety. The Bible speaks to man’s fears throughout its pages. Over and over again our compassionate God reminds us to FEAR NOT. In Isaiah 43:13 he lovingly says,

“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.’”

Let us meditate on this passage. It is found in the Book of Isaiah, authored by the Prophet Isaiah, who for 40 years (760 BC to 720 BC) foretold during one of the worst times in the history of Israel. These were difficult and tough years the people were living in. He wrote during the volatile and divided time period marking the expansion of the Assyrian empire and the decline of the northern kingdom of Israel. Isaiah repeatedly warns the people of the southern kingdom of Judah that God will punish them for their sins. Their only hope for escape is God’s intervention, not political or government interventions, nor material wealth. The people had felt secure under faithful

At the beginning of chapter 41 God tells the nations that He is sovereign, He controls history and at the end of the day they really have no control of their future (41:2-4). The LORD planned all that was occurring and will occur and is carrying out His purposes (41:4). He brings events to pass. The words Isaiah foretold to the people speak to the future judgment of exile and captivity as a consequence of their sin and unbelief, but mercifully he explained they were still not rejected by God. This is because the covenant the Lord made with Abraham was unconditional (Gen. 15) so his descendants need not fear! These soothing words of hope; “fear not,” remind the Israelites that He is still their God (Isa. 43:3). He is with them (43:5). He promises to strengthen them (40:31) and He upholds them with His righteous right hand (41:10). He will help them endure (41:13-14) and he will deliver them in time.1

Why the right hand? In the Bible, the words “right hand” are mentioned together over 130 times (see Gen 48:18; Num. 22:26; Heb. 12:2; Ps. 18:35). The right hand is considered to be a synonym for strength, power, and goodness. This passage is meant to be an encouragement to the sinning people of Israel and a promise that God will strengthen their hands so that they might persevere under pressure and dangerous threats. The Lord is taking them by the hand as their guide, to lead them in their way, help them when they fall, and when they are weak hold them up. He was giving His chosen people strength over fear, doubt, and a promise of deliverance over their adversaries, even as they were being disciplined for unbelief and betrayal to their God.

FEAR NOT, I AM the one who helps you.
The Bible is clear, God acts throughout history, proving his sovereignty over the nations.

He reassures His people that, just as He acted on their behalf before, He will do so again. God is good and promises his children his presence, his care, his protection, his strength, his cooperation, His effectual support, and deliverance. Therefore, believers should “fear not.” Although this passage contains words of comfort for the Israelites in their upcoming captivity, doubtless it is written for us today as encouragement to trust in God during the dark times. These verses help us silence our fears, encourage our faith in the midst of distresses and remind us that He is a faithful and a covenant-keeping God who proves every one of His promises true. He is trustworthy and therefore we take hope.2 Our Lord is challenging us to not fear the enemy, to not doubt God’s promises, nor to worry that we would perish in the afflictions surrounding us.

Three main points to ponder:

First, are you feeling alone? God says we can depend upon His presence. God speaks tenderly to us, “Fear not, for I am with you” (41:10). He will never leave your side. It is impossible to be in a situation, location, or relationship where he is not present. God is with you.

Second, do you feel weak? He is the all-sufficient God during the worst of times. He says He provides concrete help during the trouble, “I will strengthen you.” “I will help you.” This is dependable assistance for the days at hand. God is pleased to help the weak. Because it is impossible for anything to exist outside of his control or for anyone/anything to be more powerful than Him, His help is all that is needed.

Third, are you ready to sink, falter, and give up? When you grow weary in the struggle, God says He will uphold you with His right hand. He will take you by the hand to guide you, lead you in the way of escape, deliver you from all your troubles and help you persevere to the end. It is impossible to completely quit because God will never quit you; “He who begun a good work in you will bring it to completion” (Phil. 1:6).

There is one requirement for the child of God however to access these promises and that is faith. Faith refuses to fear because faith rests in who God says He is and what He says He will do. In a trial, if we lose sight of God, who He is (especially His goodness), then we will fret, worry, and doubt. Today, will you choose to remember the One who is with you, who sovereignly controls all and promises you concrete help during these trying days? He is “I AM”, the One who grabs you by the right hand and leads you safely through. Transferring trust by remembering and embracing the fact that you are secure because of your union with the Mighty One of Israel is required. Then, and only then, will you be able to Fear Not!

Questions to Ponder- Where do I look for security in? Where has my life be diverted by unbiblical fear? What makes me feel safe? What truths about God should I preach to myself during dangerous times? Have I transferred trust from myself and/or the things of this world into the all-sovereign loving hands of my God?

Fear Not!

By Ray Ruppert

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body hell. 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. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,but whoever denies me before men,I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven (Matt 10:28-33 ESV)

Most of the “fear not” and “do not fear” passages in the Old Testament are in the context of physical enemies, disaster, and conflicts. We claim many of those for ourselves and one of those that is often quoted is “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” (Isa 41:10 ESV). It is one of my memory verses and one that brings assurance of God’s presence whether trouble is lurking near or all is peaceful. Like most passages in the O.T., the context is God’s promise to Israel to give them victory over their enemies.

You are probably asking how this relates to the passage I selected for this article. Matthew 10:28-33 starts with a command not to be afraid of anyone who can deliver the utmost physical calamity. In this, Jesus’ “fear not” is like the O.T. passages. However, He zeroed in on what we most commonly think is the worst thing that can happen to us, death. He has purposely bypassed all the other evils that may be around and cut to the chase with what we usually fear the most.

Unlike Isaiah 41:10, there is no mention of God’s protection or deliverance from trouble or evil in Matthew 10:28-33. This stands in stark contrast to most of the “fear not” passages of the Bible. Therefore, we should stop and consider why Jesus spoke as He did. If we should not fear death, then all the other problems should have less fear attached to them. Of course, we often fear things that seem worse than death such as extended years of physical torture and pain. I think the point of not fearing people who can kill us is that it is not the worst that can happen, and we should be more concerned with eternity.

We can see this because Jesus does not follow with an assurance that God will deliver us from someone who is going to try to kill us. Rather He immediately points us to the proper person to fear and tells us what is even more fearful than death. It is death and going to hell instead of going to heaven. If our fear is one of those lesser things, then we should get a better grip on what is truly important. Paul would agree in this respect when he explained that we should regard all the suffering and trials of this world as “light and momentary” because we must be looking forward to external things (2Cor4:16-18) so that we don’t get bogged down with fear in this life.

Did you react negatively when I said Jesus did not promise protection or deliverance? Did you not ask about the sparrows? How many devotionals have you read that use this passage as assurance of God’s protection? How many of them included the contextual verses before and after Jesus talked about the sparrows and the hairs on our heads? As I read this passage, Jesus did not say that God keeps the sparrows from falling to the ground but said He knows when they fall. Some of the other translations say that they do not fall without the Father’s will. This is not a promise of protection. This is God’s promise that He has everything in control. He knows and determines when we will die, suffer illness, be attacked, or fly above it all. He has every one of our days planned from the beginning of time ( Ps 139:16). His assurance comes in His sovereignty and our value to Him, not in getting us out of our circumstances. That is the reason not to fear death or any other thing. Trusting in God’s sovereignty is a might fear-reliever. Yet, without a focus on eternity and knowing Who to fear, trusting in God’s sovereignty is a platitude.

Jesus makes his primary point to us in just a few words in verse 28. It is not that we should not fear men, but His point is that we should fear God. We cannot say to ourselves that death is not all that bad without acknowledging that death without a proper relationship with Jesus is going to mean an even worse outcome with eternity in hell. At some point of our lives we must have a dread, fear, horror, and even panic that God can and will kill us, then put us in hell if we do not have a proper relationship with Jesus. For a person who is truly saved, born again, regenerated, indwelt with the Holy Spirit (I’m trying to cover all the bases here to make sure that simply saying “is a Christian” is too inclusive) that may be a very fleeting moment before or even after salvation. But it still stands that Jesus said that kind of fear should appear sometime in our lives. He clarifies this point by explaining it in verses 32-33.

Note that verse 32 starts with “So” or “Therefore” (NAS). The purpose of the previous verses is to bring our attention to our relation to Jesus. If we fear men more than acknowledging that we belong to Jesus, we will not be acknowledged before the Father. The only possibility that Jesus would not acknowledge us before the Father is that we are not saved, born again, regenerated, or indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Jesus made a similar statement in Matthew 7:21-23 to those who called Him Lord but do not do the will of the Father. They would have called themselves Christians, but they will not be allowed entry into the kingdom of heaven. These are fearsome thoughts! How can this be? It should make any Christian sit up straight and consider his or her relationship with Jesus. It should make us tremble at that thought of what our sins deserve.

The Psalmist gave us some very good advice about what to do in regard to considering our relationship with Jesus:

Serve the Lord with fear,

and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son,

lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, 

for his wrath is quickly kindled. 

Blessed are 

all who take refuge in him. Ps 2:11-12 ESV

We must get our “fears” in order and our relationship with Jesus in the right perspective. Paul said, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2:12-13). I am thankful that Paul didn’t stop with verse 12 but made sure that we understand that it is only because God is working in us that we can have the correct relationship with Jesus. This corresponds to the illustration Jesus provided with the sparrows; the fact that we must trust in God’s sovereignty as part of working out our salvation. With both the assurance of God’s sovereignty and a correct relationship with Jesus, then all the “fear not” passages will bring great comfort to us. With this assurance that we really do belong to Jesus and we will be able to join with Jude in his doxology:

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen (Jude 24-25 ESV). 

Fear Not!

By Nancy Williams

 Isaiah 35:2 “Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Have you ever had an anxious heart? The world would tell you to drown your anxiousness with pills, food, wine, vegging out or anything that will help you take your mind off your problems. Do whatever will make you happy after all it is your life. As believers we know that the world’s solutions do not work yet at times, we turn to them because we do not believe the word of God can help. Have you ever wondered what the word of God says about the cure for an anxious heart? Isaiah a prophet to the Israelites shares the cure in Isaiah 35:2 “Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

We are called to be strong, Fear not! And why are we called to Fear Not! Because we are called to behold our God who will come and save us. Do you know God? Truly know who He says He is? Maybe our hearts are anxious and afraid because we have a small view of our God.

Stop and meditate on God! When we know God, we truly can “Fear Not!”

Deuteronomy 4:31 “For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.”

Psalms 116:5 “The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.”

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

John 1:5 “This is the message that we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, in him there is no darkness at all.”

Psalms 54:4 “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”

Psalms 62:7-8 “My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah.”

1 Timothy 1:17 “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Isaiah 40:28 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”

Psalm 18:30 “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

1 Corinthians 1:9 “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”

Psalm 117:2 “For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!”

Beholding our God is to be in awe of who He says He is and what He can do. That means meditating on scriptures, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God, he will come and save you.

I Will Not Fear

By Wendy Wood

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.  

What can man do to me?”   Psalm 118:6

God is faithful to give us reasons and arguments for why He gives us a command.  For example, before giving the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20, God reminds the Israelites “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery”.  God’s reason for obedience to the commandments was that He was a personal God who loved them and had rescued them out of slavery.  Obedience is rooted in knowing the greatness of God.  We see God giving reasons again in Matthew 6 when He commands us to “Do not be anxious”.  His reasons?  Look at how God takes care of birds and flowers and provides for every need of every creature.  Consider how detail oriented God is with each bloom of lily and providing berries and seeds for birds.  The grass is beautifully clothed with God’s different shades of green and brown.  Think about God’s ways with even the little creatures and how much more people, made in God’s image, are cared for.  When God gives us a command, obedience is rooted in His very nature.  Because God is personal, great, sovereign, caring, a provider, and always present, we can and should trust Him to live as He calls us to live.

“I will not fear.”

Reason #1.  “The Lord is on my side.”

When I picture “sides” I picture a tug-of-war or an athletic game where there are teams involved.  As you go out to compete in a sport or game, one team sizes up the other to see how they compare.  If you are about to do a tug-of-war over a pit of muddy water, you are gauging your team’s size and strength against the other team.  If you are playing a basketball game you are comparing height, build, and speed against the other team to see how your team measures up.  “The Lord is on my side” is the game winning statement.  No matter who is on the other team, having the Lord on your team, is a guaranteed winning outcome every time.  No one can outmatch or outplay or out strategize God.  The completed work of Christ on the cross is the victory that every believer has that guarantees the future.  Romans 8:30 promises that those who are foreknown are called, and justified, and sanctified, and glorified.  The outcome of victory has already happened and will be fully realized in the future.  ‘The Lord is on my side’ means that my soul is secure and the outcome has already been decided.

“I will not fear.”

Reason #2 “The Lord is on my side.”

“The Lord is on my side” also means that God is “for us” (Romans 8:31).  Again I picture sports as a metaphor for God being “for us”.  As a mom of soccer players, I was on the sidelines of soccer fields every weekend for years watching my boys play the game.  I couldn’t play ‘for them’, but both of my boys knew I was “for them” by my actions.  I drove them to every practice.  I arrived 45 minutes before each game so they could warm up and receive coaching tips for the day.  I was on the sideline whether is was 28* at the end of November or 95* in the middle of August.  I watched every play and cheered on not only my own son, but their entire teams.  As a sinful, earthly parent, I was able to show my boys that I was “for them” in their sport. By being there, by spending time with them, by getting to know their strengths and weaknesses on the field, bringing snacks and cheering them on, I showed my support.  God, our perfectly holy heavenly Father is so much more “for us” than we could ever imagine.  Do you picture God “for you”?  Do you see God’s heart “for you” as you engage in daily activities. When life is comfortable and things are going smoothly do you realize God is “for you”?  When you are struggling with temptation and have given in again, do you consider that God is “for you”?  When you are sad and lonely, do you look to the God who is “for you”?  “The Lord is on my side; I will not be afraid” is a blessed promise that we have a Sovereign, Holy, Merciful, Loving, Good God who is “for us”.  We have absolutely nothing to fear because of who God is.

“I will not fear.”

Reason #3  “What can man do to me?”

When we have considered who God is, how he is on our side, and for us, we realized that there is absolutely nothing man can do to us that affects our security and hope in Christ.  Man may be able to inflict short term difficulties and trials in our lives.  Man may be able to temporarily cause harm and, in some cases, could even end our earthly life.  But for those who are in Christ, we are secure and our hope in spending eternity in the presence of God is absolutely guaranteed by the resurrection of Christ.  Matthew 10:28 tells us, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  If we are covered in the righteousness and holiness of Christ, our souls are secure and we need not fear.  When we are tempted to anger or self-preservation, we can say with Joseph, “what man intends for evil, God intends for good” (Genesis 50:20 author’s paraphrase).  Even though Joseph’s brothers intended harm by throwing Joseph into a pit and selling him as a slave to a caravan headed to Egypt, Joseph could trust that God was sovereign and in complete control of his every moment.  Joseph could say “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?” knowing that God’s purpose and will are always accomplished and that God is good and uses even difficult circumstances for His children’s good.  The promise of Romans 8:28-29 is that “all things” will work for good by conforming believers to the image of Christ. 

“I will not fear” is a command that we can obey because of WHO God is.  Fear comes from looking at our circumstances and not considering the sovereignty, goodness, wisdom, mercy, omnipresence, and love of God.  When we know and trust that God is on our side and that God is sovereign over man and anything that can be done to us, we can say with the Psalmist, “I will not fear”.

"Do Not Fear" - Isaiah 41:10

“Do Not Fear”

By Wendy Wood

So do not fear, 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

When we are gripped by fear, when our palms are sweaty, our hearts are racing, and we are going from one distressing thought to another picturing worst case scenarios, we are so caught up with our emotions and being aware of how badly we feel, that we focus on little else. Fear is an emotion that is strongly felt. Fear can be paralyzing and can keep us from moving forward or making a decision and thereby we are not exercising faith or doing what needs to be done. Fear can also cause us to react to a situation in the way that will get us back to feeling safe and comfortable.  In these moments we are more concerned about alleviating fear than honoring God. But, fear can also be a great help to us. Fear may bring the adrenaline and strength necessary to act heroically in a dangerous situation. Fear may be helpful in alerting us to desires in our hearts that have grown too strong. When we are commanded in scripture to “fear not”, God is commanding us not to give way to a negative interpretation of our circumstances because He is already providing what we need. God is gracious and kind in providing for us ‘arguments’ for why we can trust Him and not give way to fear.

“Do Not Fear”

Reason #1.  “I am with you.”

Why do we not need to fear? God is with us. God, who is sovereign, all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving, good, just, righteous, and holy, is with us. When we stop and think about Who God is, and that He is always with us, we truly have nothing to fear. “I am with you” is the most often given promise in the bible. Just a few of the references are:

Isaiah 43:2  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you”

Matthew 28:20b  “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Genesis 28:15  “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go”

Deuteronomy 31:6  “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

When you are tempted to fear, stop and meditate on the ever-present God of the universe.  He is with you!  How does that change the way you view your circumstances?

“Do Not Fear”

Reason #2  “I am your God.”

Why do we not need to fear? God is personal. God is my God. God knows me and cares for me. God has set His love on me and has promised to dwell with me both now and forever. God has put His Spirit within me to guide me, teach me, remind me of His truth, and to convict and help me. I have no reason to fear when I am trusting that God is MY God. David knew God as a personal God.  

Psalm 63:1

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

    my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Zephaniah 3:17

 “The Lord your God is in your midst,

     a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

    he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.”

God is the God who chooses to come to His people and dwell with His people. God didn’t meet us half-way, He came to us, all the way to our sinful, dead state,  and met every single one of our needs in Christ. God knows you and loves you as one of His children. When you trust God’s heart is for you, you can rest in security and peace.  You have no need to fear because the God who breathed out stars, who places the boundaries of the oceans, who knit you together in your mother’s womb, is your God. How would your view of your circumstances change if you meditated on the truth that God is “your God” and is “for you”.

“Do Not Fear”

Reason #3  “I will strengthen you.”

Why do we not need to fear? God’s strength is given to us as the third person of the Triune God. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. He is described as both in scripture because the Trinity cannot be separated, yet is three distinct Persons (Is 11:2-3, Matt 3:16, Rom 8:9, Gal 4:6). The presence of the Holy Spirit in a believer is evidence that salvation is real.  When Jesus was about to die and knew He would be returning to heaven, He promised His disciples that the Spirit would be even better because God would be dwelling in us and with us (John 14:17).  God gives us power in wisdom through the Spirit as He helps us understand scripture and teaches us truth.  The Spirit enlightens us to know and understand the hope we have in Christ. The Spirit is the power that enables us to display the fruit of the Spirit as we are progressively sanctified.   Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1 is a beautiful description of the Spirit’s work in us.

Paul prays that they (and we) may have “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places…” (vs 17-20)

Later in Ephesians 3 Paul again prays “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (vs 16-19).

The Spirit allows us to know God and His love for us. The Spirit helps us comprehend how great God’s love is and to experience the fullness of God in our hearts. The Spirit helps us enjoy God and delight in Him which brings joy and peace.

Colossians 1:11 tells us that God has given us “all power” that helps us to endure with patience whatever circumstances we are facing. That power comes from the Holy Spirit within us. If we are walking in step with the Spirit, our response to difficult circumstances will put God’s power on display as we are patiently enduring whatever we are facing.

When God promises to provide a way out of temptation (1 Cor 10:13), He has in mind the gift of the Spirit to convict us and give us strength to fight the temptation.  When God tells us we are sanctified in truth, His word is truth, (John 17:17) it is the Spirit who illumines His word to us to change us into His image.  

The Spirit gives us power to love others and be self-controlled and to abound in hope in this difficult world (2 Tim 1:7, Rom 15:3)

When we are trusting that God will strengthen us, we don’t need to fear.  He will give us the strength of wisdom, the strength to battle temptation, the strength to love others even when it is difficult, and the strength to fix our eyes on Him and the day when we will be with Him face to face.

“Do Not Fear”

Reason #4  ‘I will help you’

God describes Himself as a “helper”.  

Psalm 54:4  “Behold, God is my helper;  the Lord is the upholder of my life.”

Hebrews 13:6 “So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear;  what can man do to me?”

To be a helper means to come to one’s aid, especially in time of need or difficulty.  God is not a reluctant helper. His plan of redemption from before the foundation of the world, was to come to the aid of sinners and give life-giving aid. God’s very nature is to be a helper.  He desires to shower us with mercy and grace (Eph 2:4-5). His heart is gentle and lowly (Matt 11:28-30). He is not stingy with kindness or compassion.  His gives out of the abundance and riches of who He is at His very nature. Ephesians 2:4 says “But God, being rich in mercy…” came to give life to sinners who were dead in their sin. God’s very being is rich in mercy. God yearns to help us, especially in times of need and difficulty. He came to us while we were sinners and enemies of His, how much more, now that we are His children, will He help us.

If we trust that God’s very heart is to help us, we need not fear anything.  God has secured our salvation with Him, what can man do to us?

“Do Not Fear”

Reason #5  “I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”

The right hand in scripture signifies God’s power and strength.   Jack Wellman on Patheos website says, “ This [phrase] ‘right hand’ occurs 166 times in the Bible so it is no accident that the [phrase] ‘right hand’ has significant meaning. God inspired Isaiah to write “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). The right hand signifies strength, perhaps because most people are right-handed and that is the hand that normally has their greatest strength.”  When God promises to uphold us with His right hand, we can have confidence that God is referring to His strength.  As the all-powerful God, He promises to uphold us.  In Exodus 15:6 God shows His strength in saying,  “Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy” and often used His right hand against His enemies as in Exodus 15:12 “You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.” Daniel 4 reminds us that “none can stay His hand”.  God’s righteous right hand is determinative.  Nothing is stronger.  Nothing can break the grasp that God has on His children.

The right hand in scripture also refers to the hand of blessing.  When Jacob is blessed by his father, it is the right hand that is placed on Jacob’s head to bestow the honor (Genesis 28:14).  When God says that He will uphold us with His right hand, He is guaranteeing all the blessings promised to His children.  Ephesians 1 tells us that we have “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm” as His children.  God’s right hand holds our inheritance secure.

To trust God will uphold us in His righteous right hand is to rest securely in all His promises, because He holds them with strength and power. For those He foreknew, He called, He justified, He sanctified, and He glorified (Romans 8). The guarantee of our blessings and help are secure because they depend on God’s faithfulness and strength, not ours.

God gives us five reasons in Isaiah 41:10 to “Do not fear”.  Meditate on these promises today.  Find the peace that surpasses understanding by living like these promises are true - because they are!  

Fear Is Sometimes Evidence of Pride and Our Reluctance to Let Go of Our Control

By Paul Tautges

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6–7).

Anxiety is sometimes the fruit of pride—especially when it is accompanied by prayerlessness. Though we often minimize our lack of prayer, prayerlessness unmasks an independent spirit—it reveals our failure to recognize our weakness and utter dependence on God. When you don’t pray, and when you take on your anxieties by yourself, you show your need for humility before the Lord.

Peter makes this important connection. But notice that before Peter exhorts his readers (who are suffering Christians) to make a habit of bringing their anxieties to God—of throwing them at his feet, so to speak—he issues a call to humility. We must cultivate true humility in ourselves and for ourselves. Like a garment, we must put it on (see Col. 3:12). No human being can do that for us. Yes, others may humiliate us, but only the Spirit’s sanctifying
work can move us to genuinely humble ourselves. In order to do this, we need divine grace to combat pride and unbelief. Today’s verses are loaded with transformative truth for our anxiety-prone hearts. We find a command, its purpose, a manner of obeying the command, and the reason for obeying it.

The command is to humble yourself. Verse 6 begins with “humble yourselves” and is immediately followed by the word “therefore.” This command is preceded by a warning and a promise: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (v. 5). When you humble yourself before God, he gives you more grace. This grace empowers you to resist allowing anxiety about your trials to push you away from God.

The purpose of humility is to help us to exchange self-exaltation with trust in God. Anxiety is often related to our desire for control, which is connected to thinking too highly of ourselves. Peter’s warning is this: If you exalt yourself, you will be humbled by God’s mighty hand. But if you humble yourself, the same “mighty hand of God” will exalt you “at the proper time.”

The manner of humbling yourself is to cast your cares on God. Peter doesn’t simply bark out a command; he tells us specifically how to obey. The way to heed the command to be humble is by “casting all your anxieties” on God. You accomplish this by talking to God and releasing your cares to him by faith. Are you ready to bring your anxieties to the Lord as an act of humility?

The reason to humble yourself in prayer is clear: God cares for you. Peter connects relief from anxiety to an awareness of God’s faithful care. “He cares” is in the present tense in the original Greek, referring to continual action. This is Peter’s way of stressing how much God constantly cares for you. Our anxieties are stoked when we don’t trust that the Lord cares for us. Do you believe that he cares for you?

Casting your cares on God is an expression of moment-by-moment dependence on him, which is a fruit of humility. Why wait? Humble yourself before him right now and bring your anxieties to him.

• Reflect: How might your anxiety show you your need for more grace?

• Reflect: How would you describe your prayer life? What steps do you need to take to humble yourself?

• Act: Prayerlessness is an indicator of pride and self-sufficiency. If this defines you, repent of it right now and ask the Lord for help.

[This post is a chapter excerpt from the 31-day devotional, Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace.]

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/09/02/fear-is-sometimes-evidence-of-pride-and-our-reluctance-to-let-go-of-our-control/

Overcome Your Fear of Others By Fearing God

Zach Schlegel 

They were trapped. On one side a massive Egyptian army coming after them, on the other side the Red Sea. Hundreds of thousands of people, young and old, had just left Egypt, but now it seemed their doom was sure.

“When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly…They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness”” (Exod. 14:10–12).

It’s not hard to relate to the Israelites here. As I write this, millions of people around the world are locked down in quarantine from the coronavirus. Many feel trapped: the threat of sickness, economic hardship, loneliness and uncertainty about tomorrow – it’s a recipe for fear. We all have Red Sea moments and would prefer to avoid them if we could. When we read through the account of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, the exit came with a dramatic display of 10 plagues: blood, frogs, flies, gnats, livestock die, and boils. Now God could’ve wiped out the Egyptians with one word. Why the plagues? What’s God up to? Before the seventh plague of hail, God instructs Moses to tell Pharaoh, “For this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exod. 9:16).

When Moses came to Pharaoh with the news it was time for him to let God’s people go, Egypt’s pompous ruler asked, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD” (Exod. 5:2). In his hubris, Pharaoh thought little of God, but the Exodus narrative shows how foolish he was to ignore the LORD. After Moses warned a seventh plague of hail was coming, he added a merciful warning to shelter man and beast lest they be killed. Their response? “Whoever feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses” (Exod. 9:20). Those who feared God, obeyed what He commanded.

In Scripture, fear is more than feeling terrified. The fear of man certainly includes that, but it also means revering people, needing them, or valuing their opinion so much that our decisions end up being controlled by them. We obey what we fear. We fear failure, over commit, get defensive, avoid risks, compare, envy, or twist the truth often because of what others will think of us.

Pharaoh didn’t fear God, he feared people. Perhaps he thought, “The Israelites have been our servants for over 400 years; I’m not about to be the one responsible for losing them. The cost of losing slave labor would be disastrous to our economy! I’m not about to let this Israelite deity threaten me, I’m Pharaoh!” Desperate to have others see Him as important, powerful and in control, Pharaoh hardened his heart and paid the price.

The sad irony is that when the people of God were pinned up against the Red Sea, they had the same problem Pharaoh did: the fear of man. I’m not saying they weren’t in a tough spot – I’d probably be shaking in my boots given the situation – but remember what they’d witnessed! The showdown between God and Pharaoh, his magicians, and his gods was a joke! God isn’t threatened when the nations rage, He laughs (Ps 2:4). With a mighty hand (Exod. 3:19), God delivered His people from a powerful nation that had enslaved them. When they left, it was Egypt shaking in fear, not Israel! If they could’ve remembered who was on their side, they could’ve laughed at the enemy instead of panic.

The ten plagues in Exodus 7-12 show us the glory of God. When God passed through the land of Egypt during the last plague God said, “on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD” (Exod. 12:12). All the idols of this world are nothing (1 Cor 8:4): “They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them” (Ps. 115:5-8). God is different than man-made idols. He is the living God who sees our plight, hears our cries, moves mountains, and saves (Exod. 2:24-25).

Our problem, like the Israelites, is we tend to focus on that which worries us such that we lose sight of God, fall into fear, and let it control us, not God. Our Red Sea moments remind us the iron bars of fear exist because of a myopic view of God (see 2 Pet 1:9). I imagine if we could look back on today when Christ comes back on the final day, we’ll ask, “Why was I afraid?”

Pinned up against the Red Sea, all Israel had to do was remember God’s promise to get them to the land flowing with milk and honey (Exod. 3:8) and the greatness of God revealed in their Exodus. Because God doesn’t change, the God who parted the Red Sea, is our God. We may not have Pharaoh breathing down our neck, but our Red Sea moments aren’t reasons to fear, they’re opportunities to see what God can do. We may not know what or when He will act, but we need to hear what Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exod. 14:13a). The clearer we see God, the less we will fear man (Prov. 14:26).

Knowing how prone the people of God are to forget, God instituted the Passover meal as a means to remember and bolster faith (Exod. 12). When future generations would celebrate this feast and ask ‘What does this mean?’ They were to answer, “By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery” (Exod. 13:14).

In the same way, when we struggle with fear God has given us a meal to remember and bolster our faith (1 Cor 11:23-25). When we remember Christ, our Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7) we’re reminded of a second exodus. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, our mighty God delivered us from sin, Satan and death. With our King firmly fixed in our heart and mind, we’re able to say, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Ps. 56:3–4)

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared at the blog for Credo Magazine and is used with permission.

Posted at: https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/overcome-your-fear-of-others-by-fearing-god/

10 Practical Helps for Fighting Fear

Kristen Wetherell

Fighting fear is like muscle memory: The more you fight, the more and better you will fight. But what does fighting fear look like in a practical sense? Here are 10 thoughts:

Acknowledge reality.

In Psalm 56:3, David writes, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Not if, but when. A great (and freeing) place to start when you’re afraid is to acknowledge that fear is a universal human reality. Since we live in a world corrupted by sin and full of suffering, we are guaranteed to encounter what is fearful. So, it isn’t always wrong to be afraid; fear can be a God-given kindness to protect us from legitimate dangers and threats. When we are afraid, rather than condemning ourselves for feeling fear (Rom. 8:1), we can acknowledge the circumstances that brought about such a response and, when appropriate, thank God for wiring us to respond this way.

Discern the fear.

However, we shouldn’t stop there. Sometimes, our fears can subtly shift from legitimate concerns to all-consuming fixations. We can ask God to reveal when this has become the case: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Ps. 139:23, NIV). Usually, our problem with fear isn’t its existence but its enormity. Fear will arise. The question is, what weight does it hold, especially in comparison to God? Imagine a double-sided scale, where your fears are one side and God is on the other. Which side weighs more? When fear’s magnitude outweighs what is most true and real, the result will be anxiety, anger, doubt, and other bitter fruits. Fight fear by asking the Lord if it has become weightier on the scale of your heart than it should be—than he should be.

Wield Scripture.

Ephesians 6:17 calls God’s Word “the sword of the Spirit.” Hebrews 4:12 says it is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,” and Psalm 29:4 testifies, “The voice of the Lord is powerful.” The truth is, we can’t fight fear unless God’s Spirit applies his living, powerful Word to our hearts, and this means we must engage with it. Remember, we fight fear by growing in the fear of the Lord—by our God weighing more to us than our fears—and we grow in the fear of the Lord by holding fast to his self-revealing words and asking his Spirit to impress them upon our minds and souls. So, think of ways to wield the Word. After I read my Bible in the morning, I leave it open on our kitchen counter so I can re-read it during the day. We can also memorize Scripture, write it on notecards, and share what we’re reading with others.

Stay present.

In Matthew 6:34, Jesus gives us a wise principle on fearfulness: “Therefore [because God is a trustworthy Father who promises to provide for you] do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” We will fight fear as we focus on the present and refuse to run ahead into the future. Jesus knows that too many thoughts about the unknown will overwhelm us and are ultimately unproductive: “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (v. 27). So he reminds us to take one day at a time. When you’re afraid and daunted by what’s to come, ask God to help you stay present. Trust him to supply for that particular day’s needs (v. 32). Then, when tomorrow becomes today, do it all again.

Limit media consumption.

While modern media can be a wonderful gift, it can also be an unhelpful weight. News media thrives on feeding our fears, posting sensational headlines to grab eyeballs and rivet attention. Of course, we don’t want to be uninformed, but we should consider the effects. Is the media making us more fearful and anxious? Are we spending more time absorbing the news than we are God’s Word and other life-giving resources? Fight fear by limiting media consumption and tuning your eyes and ears instead to what is “excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:8).

Practice thanksgiving.

I say “practice” because thanksgiving doesn’t come naturally to us; grumbling and complaining do. Since we are forgetful creatures, God constantly reminds us in Scripture to “remember”: remember his character, his works, his promises, his good gifts and new mercies, his Son. As we practice thanksgiving with our mouths—verbally in prayer, in conversation with other believers, or perhaps through writing—we will promote a posture of worship within our hearts. Rather than following our feelings and our fears, we lead our hearts by faith. We fight fear with thanksgiving and praise to the One who is worthy to be feared.

Read biographies.

When I’m fearful (and discouraged by my fears), I’ve been helped by great books, particularly biographies on believers who encountered their own fearful circumstances and learned to trust and treasure God within them. Add the following books to your pile and be spurred on in faith: A Chance to Die, Bonhoeffer, A Passion for the Impossible, Here I Stand, Amy Carmichael, The Life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 12 Faithful Men, and 12 Faithful Women.

Tell someone.

Fear flourishes in silence and darkness, but when brought into the light—when confessed and spoken about—it loses some of its power. We can start by telling our Heavenly Father about our fears in prayer (Phil. 4:6-7), and then we will be helped to tell a trusted friend or two. Sometimes, in the process of talking about what we’re most afraid of, we’re led to recognize untruths we have believed, unhelpful or even sinful patterns we’ve adopted, and most important, how our fears have become more weighty to us than the Lord. Wise friends will listen and then counsel us in the truth (Prov. 20:5), and we can provide that same ministry for a fearful friend.

Get outside.

King David knew the worth of creation for reorienting his gaze to the Creator. In Psalm 19:1 he writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Then in Psalm 8:3-4 he says,

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

We can follow suit. Fight fear by taking a walk (even a trip!), and note the beauty and majesty of God’s careful handiwork. He created so we would worship him; he made so we would marvel at his glory. Let the fear of the Lord increase in your soul as you look away from your fears and to his power and beauty as revealed in creation.

Remember God’s grace.

Ultimately, fearful people need the gospel: the good news that God sent his Son into the world to restore in sinner’s hearts a right fear of him. When we are united to Jesus by faith—when we have confessed our need to be rescued and receive Christ as our Rescuer—then his presence goes with us every moment of every day, in the person of his Spirit. When we are afraid, we will fight fear as we remember God’s grace: his all-satisfying, all-sufficient supply of spiritual help. He not only saved us when we first believed, but he continues to save us as we believe: from ourselves, the temptations of this world, and from the evil one. He promises, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). So, we remember his grace amid our fears, that even if the worst comes to pass, God will give us what we need, and he will walk with us.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2020/05/10-practical-helps-fighting-fear/