Fighting Fear

Fear has been trying to steal my peace and my joy.  Fear of what lies ahead, fear of dangers that may be lurking in places I may travel, and fear of losing the people I love have all been marching through my mind on a regular basis.  As I sat in silence this morning the Lord was faithful to whisper in my ear His love. His love does cast out fear.  But how does that work? 

Over the past couple of months in preparation for a mission trip that I will be participating in the Lord has urged me to spend time reviewing a Psalm that I had memorized a couple of years ago.  I felt that the Lord would want me to share it in some way while on my trip.   Psalm 34 begins with three verses of praise and then the psalmist testifies to God’s deliverance from fear in his life.

 

“I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.  This poor man called; and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” 

Psalm 34:4-7

I have been reviewing this Psalm with the goal of sharing it with others, but the Lord has used it to open my eyes to His working in my own heart and mind.   After I had been meditating on this verse for a month or so, I attended a prayer service at church and the prayer leader stood and said he had been led to speak to us about fear from Psalm 34.  Then, this past Sunday, Pastor Gregg was speaking about sharing the gospel and how fear can hinder us from speaking about our faith.  I could not write fast enough as he asked this question: “Do you want to be fearful and faithless or faithful and fearless?”  “Well,” I answered to myself, “I want to be faithful and fearless!”  That evening Psalm 34:7 was mentioned at a meeting I attended regarding a mission trip I am preparing to go on. Later that night as I laid my head on my pillow, peace had defeated the fear that had locked in on my mind. 

The next morning, before I began my devotional time with the Lord, I read a note that had been given to me by one of the women in my Bible study the day before. As I opened the card, I noticed some scriptures were written at the top of the card.  Psalm 34:4-5 was the very first passage that she had written. By this time, it was obvious that the Lord was speaking to me about how to combat these fearful thoughts.  He has given me two weapons for fighting fear:  His Word and His body of believers.

The more I meditate, pray, and speak aloud His Word regarding fear my mind is no longer conforming to fearfulness, but is transformed by my faith in His truth. It reminds me of John 2:22, “After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scriptures and the words that Jesus had spoken.”   As I recall God’s truth regarding His deliverance from fear my faith is being renewed and He is giving me courage to be fearless as I think of what is to come in life, on a mission trip or in a lonely place. 

As I gathered with other believers to praise and pray, fear began to dissolve.  Then, when I heard the testimony of others who were hopeful and excited about what was to come, I too began to gain an unexplainable joy and anticipation of what my future holds.  There is nothing like being connected with others in the body of Christ.  Paul said it well, “If there be any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”  (Philippians 2:1)  I was greatly encouraged through this fellowship of the Spirit within the body of Christ! 

Are you fearful and faithless today?  Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and meditate on it, pray it and believe it. (Ephesians 6:17-18) Then reach out to the body of Christ.  Connect with a faithful follower of Christ who will encourage you, pray for you and spur you on to walk fearlessly into your future. 

Rescued from fear,

Nancy