i’ve noticed in the last few weeks that fear keeps coming up. in my close ring of blogs and in my conversations. and i’ve been thinking for a while, as verses come to my head, that i should let those verses out so that they can comfort others and not just me. this is near to my heart because i used to struggle with severe fear. just a few of the fears i battled constantly were… fear of aliens, fear of being abducted. fear of my closet – the point that when i got married i still wouldn’t go to bed with the closet door open. in high school i would flip the light off at my door and run to my bed and jump on it -really – i didn’t want to get close to the underside of the bed. i was afraid of being raped. i locked my car doors the instant i got in the car. only after checking the underneath of the car before i approached and then the backseat and floorboards before i got in and sat down. when i had jonah i was immobilized with fear the first week he was home – sids, i would do something wrong, i would hurt him. when i began to study the Bible i began to be afraid of demons and the battle raging around us. i was afraid of dying and losing my familly. when i lived in dollarway and matt worked nights i was afraid of the crime all around and that it would reach me. all of that’s besides being afraid of people not liking me, on not fitting in. and with the current possibility of megeddo on our doorstep in israel, well… it goes on.
and then my husband started talking to me about the “whys”. he prompted a self-examination of my fears. and in that searching myself i began to find what God said about my fears. it’s not that they’re not legitimate, to the contrary, most are. it’s that God had very specific things to say about fear and our response to them. i internalized them, spent time with them and then while studying revelation (with the help of david jeremiah), my view of why we’re here on earth began to shift. i began to see the world through a different off-balance view from what i had known before. the fears weren’t dispelled or promised away. not at all. but i suddenly had God’s view of them. and a different perspective. do they still come ’round? of course. but they don’t own me. and i’m free. here’s how.
~Genesis 50:21
“So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
~Exodus 20:20
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”
~Deuteronomy 20:3-4
“He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’
~Matthew 17:7
And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”
~Hebrews 13:6,8
so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what will man do to me?” Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever.
~1 John 4:18a
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear
~Romans 8:15
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
as always, look these up and read them in context – it only gets better. and look up fear and afraid in the back of your Bible. it’s overflowing. this is not new to the human race. neither is His response to it. read and enjoy his comfort! and spread the joy!
