Fear Not!

“Are You Afraid of the Dark?”  How many of you watched that?  I have to admit I did; even encouraged my kids.   actually I wanted to watch it but since it was a kids show on Nickelodeon I encouraged them to watch it with me.  Scary movies?  How many times have you seen “The Shining?”  And even though you know what’s going to happen, you jump out of your seat when it does?  Is it the adrenaline rush?  Or is it we know we are safe so it is ok?  I tend to go with the 2nd choice.  When we sit down to watch that movie or TV show or read that scary book we make sure our environment is safe.  Nothing is going to get us while we let our mind go down that scary path.

But how many of you are afraid of life?  Fear is a terrible thing.  It can cripple us if we let it.  My fears are many and I am constantly at battle with them.

Psalm 34:4 (NIV)

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

How easy it is to recite a scripture and know that’s what needs to be done; But how hard it is to do that.  My fears!  Wow it’s a long list.  And not only one list but two or three.  I have a list for home.  I am afraid of not being the best mom.  I am afraid of my house, my health, my bills, my job.  Do I do it accurately, am I competent?  Am I what they need when they need it?  Fear of failure at anything and everything.  My biggest fear though is not doing enough; enough for Christ. It’s so easy to get impassioned about something, to go at it full force, but then the excitement wears off, people get busy and you are left-alone.  But the need is still there.  God is still there, so where does that leave you, besides alone in the presence of the Lord.  Which is not a bad place to be, but when you are there and you feel inadequate and unworthy it is quite different than just going there to find rest.  There again is that word, fear! 

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need

Yes, we need to go to Him and take Him all our fears all our weaknesses, which are many!  We all have them.  Even the little child knows that when they learn Jesus Loves Me, they are weak but He is strong.  Yes Jesus Loves Me!

Psalm 18^(NIV)

¹ I love you, Lord, my strength.

² The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I go to the Rock when I am afraid.  Fear does grip me and doesn’t like to leave me alone.  It comes when I am tired, when my mind is overwhelmed, when I try to think, when I am alone…The same time the devil likes to work.  They are one in the same.  We have to stand strong, not back down.  When fear gets in our face we have to grab Jesus, because He goes with us, and tell fear to leave us alone!

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind

We have nothing to be afraid of.  I know, I have to keep saying that so I believe it!  As long as we have Christ on our side, we have already won the battle.

Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me