GOD LEADS US FROM FEAR TO FAITH WHEN WE TRUST IN HIM

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“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” – Oswald Chambers –

Fear opposes every promise of God. Fear forgets His presence, minimizes His power and disregards His protection. Fear is the antithesis of faith. With faith, we trust God, His character, His truth, His love and His absolute sovereignty. We look to Him, not ourselves, when we face fearful situations.

One familiar acronym for fear is “False Expectations Appearing Real”. Our tendency is to assess situations and determine if they are more than we can handle. Perhaps they are… or perhaps they are not. Yet too often, we are inclined to imagine the most unfavorable outcomes, the worst-case scenarios. We prejudge the situations before us and conclude that they will last forever. We believe our fears. Our minds run with these inaccurate assessments… and our emotions soon follow.

→   How are we to conquer our fears?

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

God gives us sound minds to overcome our fears. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can discern situations wisely, rationally and accurately. Rather than jumping to irrational conclusions, we proceed with calm reason and a deep, abiding trust in our divine Protector.

“This too shall pass”. Fearful situations are viewed as temporary. We depend on our omnipotent God to help us contend with the circumstances we are facing. We may not be up to the task, but He is. When our faith looks to the Ever Faithful One, our fears subside.

“I’m not afraid of the devil. The devil can handle me – he’s got judo I never heard of. But he can’t handle the One to whom I’m joined; he can’t handle the One to whom I’m united; he can’t handle the One whose nature dwells in my nature.” – A.W. Tozer

Another acronym for fear is “Fight the Enemy And Resist”. Fear is a primary tactic of the enemy. His desire is to cause us to doubt God’s presence, His Word, His goodness… to distance us from His peace… and to distract us from His will for our lives. We are instructed to resist the enemy and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

How did Jesus resist the enemy? He used the spiritual weapon of God’s Word. In the wilderness, Satan twisted God’s words in an attempt to trap Jesus, as he did in the Garden of Eden with Eve. Jesus countered the enemy’s lies with God’s true words. We can model Jesus by using Scripture to battle the lies and deceits of the evil one that cause us to fear.

“Do not fear, for I am with you.” – Isaiah 41:10

The Bible is rich with the promises of God. We can search His Word for appropriate verses to embrace in fearful times. When we memorize them, when we write them on our hearts, they become a part of us. Recalling God’s promises cultivates a deeper appreciation of His loving hand guiding and protecting us.

There is power in the spoken Word. When our fears overwhelm, we can speak aloud these promises. Our attention is turned away from our fears and toward the One who will help us overcome. Our faith is renewed as we look to our all-powerful God. For He has triumphed over all evil. As we abide in Him, we can defeat the enemy and conquer fear in our lives.

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” – Isaiah 43:2

Our deep waters may seem to sweep over us, yet we are tied to the Rock. Our Lord is ever with us. He is our anchor in the storms. He will safeguard us and rescue us. He will help us take control of our fearful situations. Our fears are washed away as we hold fast to Him.

We are one with Christ. As He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). When we walk by faith, we are brave in Him. Our faith becomes bigger than our fears. For we have His courage, His strength, His conquering Spirit within us. Our reverent fear of God dissipates all fear of evil. In Him and Him alone, we can defeat all our fears.

†   Eternal Takeaway – Faith conquers fear when it rests in the One who overcomes   †