When Fear Comes

When Fear Comes March 19, 2010 by Karen King Filed under Faith, Faith Article “I will praise the Lord, Who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence…” Psalm 16: 7-8, 11a (NASB) Are you a fearful person? Before you answer this question, take a minute to search your soul. Do you often find yourself trembling inside because of the perilous times we live in or circumstances that you find yourself in? Do you ever fear that you will not be able to stand through all that may come? It’s just you and God so answer truthfully! If you answered “yes” to this question, believe me, you are not alone. Fear has been something I have struggled with much too often in my life. Some might say that I have had good reason to fear and by human standards that is probably very true, but I know my God. I have spent much time teaching His Word and yet I still KNOW that I cannot let my guard down for a second or the fiery darts of fear will be aimed at the battlefield of my mind by the enemy of my soul and they will certainly find their way into my mind and heart from there. I’m being perfectly honest with you so that you will be honest with God and honest with yourself. We all have strongholds that we struggle against and fear is a powerful one. The key to overcoming overwhelming fear is putting your trust in a Sovereign God Who is always in control, always aware of your situation and always present in your past, present and your future. Yes, because He is not limited by time, He is already in your future conquering those things that frighten you. “Nothing can ever touch you that is not first filtered through God’s fingers of love,” as my beloved teacher, Kay Arthur, says often. And a truer statement never was spoken. I know that experientially as do many of us who walk with God. What a huge comfort it is to know the truth of that statement. I am always upheld and surrounded by the Lover of my Soul. If He lets something touch me, I can trust that He is going to protect me, be with me, and bring me through it. There is a verse found in Psalm 94:19 (NASB) that always comforts me and quiets my mind. I treasure this verse like a rare jewel that I discovered when mining the Word of God. “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your consolations delight my soul.” Not “if” my anxious thoughts multiply within me, but “when” my anxious thoughts multiply within me. The psalmist knew those anxious thoughts would come and not only would they come but they would multiply within him. He knew that one anxious thought leads to another and another until it would be easy to become overwhelmed with fear. But what was his praise about those anxious thoughts coming? That God’s consolations would delight his soul. He could replace those fears by rehearsing God’s consolations. He knew that when he was about to go down for the last time, that he could imagine himself wrapped in the all powerful and loving arms of God which would hold him and console him with His consolations of love, comfort, security, joy and peace. When he did this, the fear was quickly replaced with delight in his soul. Precious reader, you will never go through anything alone if you have Jesus Christ as your Savior. When in the Nazi concentration camps, Corrie ten Boom was anxious about things to come. Her sister Betsy saw this and said to her, “Ah, Corrie, there is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still!” I have often thought of that statement when I felt fear in the pit of my stomach. What peace there is available to us through God our Father! And His peace trumps any fear that will ever come your way. You CAN stand fast knowing the God you serve is always in control. And “He has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7 (KJV)