Tag Archives: Isaiah 41:13

Facing Fear

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Fear not, for I am with you. Isaiah 41:0 (ESV)

 

Everyone is afraid of something.

 

As a child I was afraid of the dark, convinced there was a monster under my bed and another in my closet. I was afraid of heights then…and even a bit now. I know it is irrational, but the feeling of fear sometimes overtakes my rational thinking processes and I have to fight it to get over it. You too?

 

What are you afraid of? They say the most common fears include public speaking, rejection, failure, pain and death. The list of our fears is probably a very long one if we are honest with ourselves.  You probably know some of your own fears. God knows all your fears, including the ones you haven’t admitted yet. He knows that fear is a creepy crawly thing that invades your daily life, sometimes paralyzing you in its hypnotic trance. He speaks a lot about this in His Word, and gives us reason to face our fears with confidence. Read these truths slowly out loud. Maybe you’ll want to write some of them down and repeat them later. Memorizing God’s Word is a mighty weapon against fear.

 

  • Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
  • For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)
  • Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
  • For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
  • The Lord is my light and my salvation–whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
  • So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can Man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)
  • Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
  • Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:0 (ESV)

 

We can face our fears with the confidence that He who is beside us and in us is greater than all our fears! Fix your eyes on Jesus, the perfecter of your faith. Abide in the Spirit He has given you, the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind.

 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

 

 

Let go – let God

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A comedian once observed that “home is where you keep your stuff while you go and buy more stuff.” It’s a plague that affects not just the rich and famous; we all have too much stuff. Stuff crowds our lives and causes us to ask if we possess things or if they possess us.

 

Have you ever gone through your belongings and asked yourself, “Why have I held on to this for so long?”  Sometimes, we are reluctant to let go of the stuff that surrounds us. Like the monkey in it’s self-imposed trap, we cling to stuff we want only to find that it is the thing that possesses us. If you’ve ever thought, “I could never bear to part with ‘that'”, you know what I mean.

 

Sometimes it’s not things we cling to but relationships, feelings, and habits that have governed our past. We’re warned to “not let a bitter root grow up to cause trouble.” (Hebrews 12:15) But sometimes we cling to that bitterness, resentment, fear or other crippling emotion. Sometimes when things go wrong in our life, we clench our fists, desperately trying to hold onto things and control them. . . sometimes even things that hurt us and prevent us from experiencing peace and joy.

 

When you find your fists clenched (really or figuratively) it’s a good time to open your hands before God. We can only hold onto so much at one time. Let go of that which keeps you from experiencing God’s best for you. Let God replace it with His peace and contented joy.

 

An exercise you might find helpful when you pray is to hold your hands before you, palms down as you confess anything you are grasping that you need to let go in order to hold onto God’s peace.   Turn your hands palms up and feel your hands relax as you release your belongings and relationships and let God fill you with the grace and joy He freely offers you.

 

The position of our hands often determines the nature of our heart. Clenched hands seldom hold things of value. Open hands release that which is not really ours and frees us to receive all that God desires to put in them. Open hands are also free to hold onto God’s own hand as He seeks to reach out to us and lead us.

 

“I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear. I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13