by Tracey McMahan
It’s lunch break at my office, and I never know which direction the conversation might take. A co-worker asks, “So, what are you afraid of?”
“Spiders!” one woman answers. “They give me the creeps.”
“Birds,” adds someone else. “I blame that old movie!”
“Scary movies,” chimes in another. “Not the weird, way-out ones, but the ones that could really happen.”
The conversation shifts before I can share how God’s word has been at work in me on this very subject of fear. So may I share with you, dear friend?
Recently I’ve been looking at fear through the eyes of Psalm 27. Fear can be defined as “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.” Also “something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension.”
Fear can be a good thing. Being afraid of heights is good if it keeps you away from the edge of a cliff. Being afraid of fire keeps a child’s fingers out of the flames. Showing fear or “reverential awe, respect and veneration” toward God is not only good and right but commanded of all true believers:
Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him (Psalm 33:8).
O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want (Psalm 34:9).
Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3:7-8).
Psalm 27 deals with the futility of fear right out of the box. The LORD, the Sovereign God of the Universe, the mighty and powerful Creator of all things is my light, my salvation, and my defense. He illumines my way. He saves my soul from evil and from death. He defends me against my enemies, protecting me from anyone or anything that threatens me.
God shelters me, conceals me and keeps me safe as I seek His face. So whom shall I fear? Whom shall I dread? If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31). I read those words and fear flees from my heart. Courage and confidence take its place. And I am unafraid… at least until something or someone else comes along and threatens to rock my world; then fear may raise its ugly head once again. But this time I’ll be armed with Psalm 27 like a sword of steel – the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). This time I will recognize that God truly is my help and my salvation, my stronghold and my sanctuary. I can be strong and let my heart take courage because it safely trusts in Him. Isn’t He marvelous?
Have you ever allowed fear to get the better of you? Has it ever stolen inside your thoughts like a thief, threatening to rob you of your peace and joy? Has it wrapped its tentacles of lies around you, seeking to pry your grasp from the Father’s hand of comfort and protection?
And what has your fear looked like?
Maybe like Moses, it’s the fear of inadequacy. But God says, “I will be with you and teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:10-11).
Maybe like Solomon, it’s the fear of evildoers. But God says, “I will be your confidence” (Proverbs 3:26).
Maybe like the disciples, it’s the fear of the unknown. But God says, “Take courage; I am here” (Matthew 14:27).
Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” I contend, dear friend, that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is nothing whatsoever to fear but God Himself, and we can confidently cry out, “In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid” (Psalm 56:4).
What about you? Is there a passage of scripture that has helped you face and overcome a particular fear in your life? I’d love to hear how the word is working in you today.
Tracey thanks for this great post and opening the conversation on fear.
ReplyDeleteI have had plenty of fears in my past that revolve around trust issues (i.e. If I die would my family be well loved and taken care of, etc) But things I have feared more recently have been along these lines:
Fear of settling for mediocrity where the Lord calls for excellence.
Fear of not persevering in prayer- not praying a thing all the way through because I get lazy and give up, therefore possibly missing out on what God has for me and others.
The Word that He has been working in me recently comes from James 5:7-8 "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." He is developing that patience and perseverance in me and teaching me how to keep circling a promise in prayer. He is reminding me that “endurance” is a character trait that is called “blessed” - “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about."(James 5:11) And reminding me that even when I don’t “see” all that I want to in the present, when “see” becomes “seen” it will surely reveal that “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11) in every situation.
He is calling me to earnest prayer and my hope and desire this summer is to improve my prayer life as I ask Him to show me how to persevere in prayer. To have the long view of things and to be willing to unselfishly “prime” things in prayer even though I may never see the finished result during my earthly days.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. (James 5:17) Earnestly denotes "strained, stretched, intently, strenuously— Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words — and in this verse the literal translation is “he prayed with prayer." I don’t completely understand that yet but Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says that it is “suggesting a supplication consistent with inward conformity to the mind of God." That intrigues me because I see how beautifully Scripture memory and praying the Word would help with “ inward conformity to the mind of God.” So Tracey I applaud you for your summer goal of memorizing the 8 Psalms that you spoke about it in the “Summertime” post. I know you will benefit hugely from that in ways too numerous to count.:)
That is how the Word is at work in me these days and I am so looking forward to a concentrated focus on prayer this summer.