Fear Not

"God is our refuge and strength,
 A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change..." ~ Psalm 46:1-2a


I remember when I was younger, I was afraid of basements. This may have been due to the fact the boogeyman lived there up until I was probably six or seven years of age. Even then, and sometimes still, they give me the hibby-gibbies. Whenever we spent the night at my cousin's house, I would ask my mom to accompany me downstairs into their basement while I took a shower. This probably went on until I was twelve or thirteen years old. 


Again, basements are creepy!


I have been able to face my fears of basements, and I have come to the conclusion, not all of them have the boogeyman ready to scare me. Sure, the thought may cross my mind if it's not the boogeyman, it's someone else (okay basements still creep me out. There is no good lighting in that place).


Needless to say I one day faced my fear, and I don't' fear any longer to the point of being frozen in terror. 


Has there ever been a time in your life that you don't know if you can take the first steps towards facing your fear? The fear found when you make a commitment. The fear when you make a huge change in life. The fear of going into something that is clearly out of your control.


You know Satan is a liar, and a really good fear producer in our lives. Whenever we fear something that God could bless or clearly is irrational, it is sometimes Satan lying to us. Let's not let him win.


There are times that perhaps it's another factor that causes our fears, but what we know as believers in Christ is that we can come to him for truth, and he the truth is he is our refuge and strength no matter what may happen to us. Psalm 118:6 says, "The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?"

What can man do to us if we know the end story of our lives is being with the Lord? Bigger and greater things ahead of us; we just have to face a few more years living on earth where the demons roam, and the flesh and the world work together to create more chaos.

Today, we can take hope that no matter what this life may bring, God is in control. He is our refuge. Our strength. That mom who would go in the basement with you to scare away any boogeyman who dared try to harm you.

No matter what fear we have, I think what we really are afraid of is change. The mystery behind what could happen if one thing doesn't go one way. Whether it be an ailment or something that goes bump in the night, we as humans get anxious or excited over mysteries. The unexpected. What could cause harm to us or a person we love.

Biblically speaking, we cannot be harmed without finding comfort, joy, peace, or release from pain. Think about it.

We may be restless now from life's circumstances, but we know someday we will find rest from them. (Psalm 62:5)
We may feel afraid of something in our lives now, but we know can find joy in the Lord in any situation. (1 Thes. 5:18)
We may be on the edge from fear, but we can find peace when we trust in the Lord. And also hold onto the hope that in the end, we'll find that tug-of-war with our emotions that hinders our peace will be gone in heaven. Right now, we just have to choose to surrender to God each day of our lives to find freedom from fears, and peace. (Philippians 4:6-7)
We may feel pain and cry now, but there will come a day we will no longer cry tears or feel pain in our lives. Our father in heaven will take them away. (Revelation 21:4)

We will be free from all things that threaten our security, but until then, we have to hold onto these words mentioned in Scripture several times: "fear not."

As you face any change, or fear, in your life, remember that God is your strength and refuge. Your very present help in times of trouble. Though the earth change, he is who he says he is.


Promises

Go to the psalms, and search out traits of God that give comfort to you. There are several ones to choose from, and to find. Perhaps start in your favorite Psalm or start in the first one you flip to. It doesn't matter. Go to the Psalms, and discover an intimate look at who God is from writers who were in love with God.

 

Jenny and Tyler "Fear Thou Not"