Fear tries to move in on us when we’re not looking like a predator moves in on its prey.
Fear is a bully that tries to intimidate us, and cause our hearts to be troubled.
When we are caught off guard, it can be difficult to overcome by ourselves.
But thankfully, God has given us a power that is greater than anything that could cause us worry.
And when His truth and His righteousness stand up, fear shrinks to nothing, in the grand presence of His peace!
Mary was afraid when the angel of the Lord appeared to her, but then He calmed her fears and told her what to expect, then she received to truth of what the messenger had to say, and no longer felt intimidated.
What is intimidating you right now? What is causing you worry? Are you concerned about what people are going to say about you, or what they think? Are you afraid that you won’t be able to do things well enough? Are you troubled that something bad might come?
Some fears are because we know we have sinned against God and possibly others, and we have a natural fear of consequences. If that’s the case, be sure to repent, and turn away from sin, and ask the Lord to forgive you and grant you mercy.
Others fears are divine warnings from God that we should heed, like Joseph did when he was divinely warned in a dream to take Mary and the Christ-child on a different route on their journey to avoid Herod’s killing of all the babies.
Other times our fears are Satan’s plot to tease, taunt, harass, or bully us! When we face that kind of intimidation, we can boldly rise up and realize that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and of a sound mind.
Don’t obsess over fears. Ask the Lord God what He has to say about them, and believe it.
Then you will inherit peace.
Article Written by: Debbie Harper, Ph.D.
