Tag Archive for: fear

“We will not fear,” the Psalms tell us. Yet these are difficult times. My girlfriend just texted me for prayer—her sister has surgery today for breast cancer, but their widowed mother can’t visit because she’s at high risk for coronavirus. My brother-in-law has an inoperable brain tumor, and out-of-state family can no longer visit. At the same time, his ability to use technology is fading. Additionally, my husband is losing his job for reasons unrelated to COVID-19, but so are millions of others due to shelter-in-place mandates.

So what is our hope during a worldwide crisis? How do we not fear?

Psalm 46 tells us.

We Will Not Fear

God is our refuge and strength
        an ever-present help in trouble
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
        and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
        and the mountains quake with their surging.
(Psalm 46:1-3)

Nestled in the first three verses are reasons to reject fear even when the earth gives way to a virus’s ravages.

We Will Not Fear Because God Is Our Refuge

We can go to our heavenly Father whenever danger nears. The psalms often describe God as a rock of refuge—a mountainous rock covered in caves and clefts that conceal us from risk. While we take refuge in homes from COVID-19, let us also take refuge in our God.

We will not fear. Image of Meteora, Greece by Stathis floros / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
Meteora rock formations in Greece. By Stathis floros / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

We Will Not Fear Because God Is Our Strength

The apostle Paul says God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). For when we’re weak but rely on God, then we are strong. He knows our days and he’s counted the hairs on our heads.

We Will Not Fear Because God Is an Ever-Present Help in Trouble

His presence is with us. His Holy Spirit is in us. He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Because God is our refuge, our strength, and our ever-present help, we can choose to not fear.

We Will Not Fear Because the City of God Awaits

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
        the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
        God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
        he utters his voice, the earth melts.
(Psalm 46:4-6)

Earth’s Jerusalem is often called the city of God. But that Jerusalem has no river. What city of God does this speak of then?

This holy habitation is the heavenly Jerusalem of which the earthly city was but a type: “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem… and to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:22,24). In the new heavens and earth, the river of life flows from the throne of God through the city’s center (Revelation 22:1-2). And the tree of life grows on its banks.

We Will Not Fear Because God Appoints Our Time

Humans lost access to the tree of life at the fall, leaving death to reign. But Jesus died and rose again to open the way to eternal life for all who believe in him.

We will not fear. Tower of Refuge image by Gregory J. Kingsley.
Tower of Refuge on St. Mary’s Isle by Gregory J. Kingsley (licensed under Creative Commons Share Alike https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Each of us has an appointed time to die (Hebrews 9:27). Indeed, doctors have told some of us that our day is near. The rest of us await such notice with eyes averted in the hope that it’s still far off. But the new virus’s spread reminds us that our time comes, perhaps even soon.

But coronavirus can’t change our assigned time to die. Either it’s our moment or it’s not. Does that mean we should act foolishly? Of course not! Rather, reckless behavior merely suggests that our preset time may be close.

Yet death is not our end. It is our new beginning.

We Will Not Fear Because We Know Our Future

Here on earth, nations rage and kingdoms totter. The cursed earth spews pestilence and plague. The sea roars in devastating power. But a day comes when God “utters his voice” and “the earth melts” (Psalm 46:6). “The heavens will be set on fire and dissolved” (2 Peter 3:12).

But that is not cause for despair, for “we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). We are coming to the holy city of God that “shall not be moved” within which flows “a river whose streams make glad the city of God” (Psalm 46:4,5). There those who belong to the Lamb will see God’s face and dwell with him forever more.

That is why we must heed these words: “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). Yes, we have an appointed time to die—but death for the Christian merely means moving into the presence of God.

We Will Not Fear Because the Lord Is with Us

The LORD of hosts is with us;
        the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
(Psalm 46:7,11)

Psalm 46’s refrain says the One who commands angelic armies is with us. Not only that, but he is our fortress. Picture tall towers and walls too high to scale. Hosts of angels and an impenetrable fortress convey this message: We are safe. And indeed we are, for “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Selah. Pause and ponder.

We Will Be Still and Know that God Is God

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
        how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
        he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
        he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
        I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
(Psalm 46:8-10)

Remembering that the LORD of hosts is with us and that he is our fortress encourages us to turn our eyes to grander things. Yes, God cursed the earth bringing desolation. But he is also ushering us into this age’s finish when he will end all wars and judge all people. Then he will bring those who belong to him to the new heavens and earth where death is no more.

God himself says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” When fear assails us, this is what we do. We turn to him, still ourselves, and repeat these words from him. We can do it because God has told us the end of our story. We will be with him, and he will be exalted. He is God.

We Will Remember the Lord Is with Us

The LORD of hosts is with us;
        the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
(Psalm 46:7,11)

Again, he is with us even now, and he is our fortress. Selah. Pause, ponder, and pray. Hear his words: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

A Prayer

A prayer based on Psalm 46.

God is our refuge and strength,
            a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though pandemic fills the earth,
            though world economies plunge into the heart of the sea,
though media roar and foam,
            and people tremble at the news.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
            the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
            God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
            he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
            the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come, behold the works of the LORD,
            the heavens and earth are stored up for fire.
He will make war cease to the end of the earth;
            he will break all weapons of war;
            he will destroy the subs, silos, and tanks.
He will bring us to his holy habitation.
“Be still, and know that I am God,
            I will be exalted among the nations,
            I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
            the God of Jacob is our fortress.
God himself says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” When fear assails us, this is what we do. Click To Tweet

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Books You Might Like

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When you’re facing fear or confronting doubt, one of the best tools at your disposal is what I call a truth journal.

A truth journal is a piece of paper or a section in a spiral notebook or journal in which you write truth statements that you need rooted in your heart. The truth journal supports you during difficult seasons of life. You write in it only truths: This isn’t the place for the fears or falsehoods that come at you like fiery darts, but only for the truth that extinguishes them.

How to Create a Truth Journal

Grab a piece of paper or set apart a section of a spiral notebook or fancy journal. Or see below to download one. List truths, numbering each one so you can distinguish between them easily and more quickly find what you need for the moment.

Here are the dos and don’ts of adding to the truth journal.

2 Corinthians 10:5 is about knowing truth

A truth journal helps you take every thought captive

Do write Scriptures that comfort you

Pray for God to show you verses that will encourage and comfort you, and then open your Bible and read. When you find a Scripture that speaks to your situation, add it to your truth journal. Write shorter passages in full; summarize longer ones with their references. If you’re not familiar with the Bible yet and don’t know where to find God’s promises, ask a mature Christian for help. At the end of this blog, I list some verses for common false beliefs.

Do write truth statements that combat lies

Most of us grew up believing lies of some sort: “You’re only valuable if …” or “You’ll always be a failure.” Ouch. During hard times, these lies can hit us forcefully. Write down the truth that overcomes the lie.

Do sketch truths

If you’re artistically inclined, when an image comes to mind as you’re reading a verse, sketch the image in the truth journal next to the verse. For example, for Psalm 23:4, I have a powerful mental image of the Lord walking through a dark valley with a sheep so I’ve sketched a rough approximation of it. The image will speak to you faster than the written words. When the truth journal isn’t near, it’s easier to remember pictures than words.

Don’t write the lies you’re combatting

In the truth journal, don’t write the lies along with the truth because you don’t want to read those lies ever again—they’ve had too much play in your mind already. Just write the truth. Likewise, this isn’t the place to work out your thoughts.

Don’t write the lies along with the truth … they’ve had too much play in your mind already

Don’t write “positive thinking” statements

Don’t write statements about the future that may not be true. For instance, don’t write, “I will get that job.” Instead, write, “If this is the job God wants me to have, he’ll give it to me. Either way, I can trust him for what’s good for me.”

How to Use the Truth Journal

When you’re in a difficult trial, build the truth journal bit by bit as you find what strengthens you. Read the truth journal before bedtime, first thing in the morning, and every time you start to feel fear or face doubt. Meditate on the truths and what they mean for you today and for your future. Put a few verses from it near the nightlight in the bathroom for use at night. Carry a shortened version in your pocket or purse during the day.

Keep this up until the tough time passes, then set it aside. One day when you face a new faith challenge, grab a fresh piece of paper or set aside a new section in your journal and enter the truth statements that address your new ordeal.

Examples of Truth Statements

Here are a few false beliefs that many people have to fight, along with a verse to get you started and a sample truth statement.

Lie Verse Truth
“God could never forgive me” 1 John 1:9 “I’ve confessed my sins and turned to Jesus as Savior, so God has forgiven me and cleansed me from all unrighteousness.”
“I’m afraid I’ve lost my salvation” John 5:24 “I hear his word and believe in Jesus so I will have eternal life.”
“You’re bad for saying bad things about [person]” Psalm 72:12-14 “It is right to report for the oppressed to report abuse. God commanded the strong to rescue the weak from oppression when they call for help.”
“People will look down on you if …” 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “God will not look down on me if …, and neither will godly Christians. God’s opinion alone counts.”
“No one will ever believe you if …” Luke 12:1-7 (esp. v. 2) “God knows the truth and he has the power to make the truth known. He will make the truth known on the Judgment Day if not before. Wise, godly people seek out truth.”
“No one will ever love you if …” Romans 8:38-39 “God loves me no matter what. Godly people will love me no matter what.”
“This disease means you’re not valuable to God” Psalm 71 (esp. vv. 9, 20) “I am valuable to God. He values my faithfulness to him through this disease, and he will reward my faithfulness.”
“God let … happen so he must not care about me” Romans 8:28 “God cares about me very much. He has some reason for allowing … to happen, and he will work it for my good.”

Downloadable Truth Journal

The Joy Super Bonus Bundle has a downloadable Truth journal that you can print.


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Part four of a five-part message accompanying chapter 2 of The Story

How do we courageously obey God when obedience is risky? I find help in Jacob’s seven courageous steps as he returned home despite his brother’s vow to kill him. In earlier posts, I mentioned that Jacob in faith immediately started on his way when God told him to go home; that when circumstances worsened, he prayed and repeated God’s promise to him; and that he arranged to repay the debt he owed his brother. We come now to Jacob’s fifth step of courage: risking all to obey the God he trusted.

Risk Come What May

Ruben's painting of Jacob and Esau reconcilingPeter Paul Rubens, “The Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau,” 1624

At eighteen, I worked for a secretarial agency during a bad recession. Business was scant. One day the owner excitedly told me she had an idea on how to increase income by restructuring rates, and she asked me to call competitors, say I had a large job, and ask for quotes. I thought, “She’s a Christian and an adult, and she thinks it’s okay. Besides, who could it hurt?” I complied, but was dismayed when a competitor excitedly asked for details. I realized I’d raised the hopes of someone desperate for work. Convicted because I knew the Bible forbade lying, I committed to never do this again.

Years later, that commitment was tested. I’d been at a new job only a couple months when a successful and driven sales VP asked me to make a similar call. I prayed for alternatives, and then offered to see if my assistant would take the assignment directly from him and, if not, to call the competitor and ask for pricing directly, explaining that as a Christian I wasn’t comfortable lying. His pricey pen froze midair as his deep-set eyes glared under thick gray eyebrows.

My assistant declined, so the next morning I prayed for God’s help, called the competitor, and requested pricing. When he asked from what company I was calling, I told him honestly. Sounding surprised, he gave me the numbers and said they were public knowledge anyway. I passed them on to my still angry boss. He didn’t fire me, but he did pile on unpleasant work for a couple weeks, apparently testing whether I would refuse anything else. It took time, but we eventually had a good working relationship.

A year later he told me what happened. He had gone home that night furious and told his wife he was firing me the next day. She asked him why he would fire someone he’d just learned he could trust even at the risk of losing her job. He grudgingly delayed firing me, and finally decided having an honest employee was valuable.

We all face times when obeying God brings risk. That’s what Jacob faced as he stood at the bank of a cold river in the middle of the night. On the other side was the home to which God commanded him to go. But also on the other side was danger, for his brother Esau was advancing with 400 men.

Working in darkness, Jacob trusted in God’s promise and sent his entire family and all his possessions across the water that separated him from Esau.

It’s one thing to pray as he had earlier, “God, all that I have is undeserved.” It’s another to actually obey knowing we may lose what’s dear to us. That takes courage.

The willingness to suffer the repercussions of doing right, to accept loss as a possible part of God’s plan, and to embrace an uncertain future as being part of the trustworthy plans of a just and good God requires recognizing that we are servants of the most high God. It’s where we do what’s right despite the potential cost. It’s where the mother releases her college-bound child, the husband his financial security, and the grief-ridden their beloved into the hands of God. It’s where we let go and trust.

We leave our story now with Jacob still on the safer side of the river, knowing God wants him to cross over and face his brother. The next post brings us Jacob’s final two courageous steps.

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Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 1

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 2

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 3

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 5

 

Part three of a five-part message accompanying chapter 2 of The Story

Years ago I decided that any time I said something negative about someone to a person who didn’t need to know, I would go to the person I’d talked to and say, “When I told you about so-and-so, I was gossiping and that was wrong. I apologize, and I ask that you not let the story go further.” I dreaded doing this, but I knew it was the least I could do to repay my debt to the person I’d wronged.

Ruben's painting of Jacob and Esau reconciling

Peter Paul Rubens, "The Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau," 1624

It’s often hard to admit our wrongs. We may fear losing face or suffering retaliation. Some people avoid those they’ve wronged at all costs. Yet Jesus said we should make things right with those who have something against us even before we bring God gifts (Matthew 5:23–24). This was Jacob’s predicament as he paused before the river separating him from Esau.

In my last two posts we saw that God told Jacob to go home, a place he’d fled twenty years before because his brother Esau vowed to kill him. Jacob courageously started on his way, but panicked when he heard Esau was coming with four hundred men. He stopped franticly planning long enough to pray and repeat God’s promise to him.

Apparently during Jacob’s prayer time, the Holy Spirit encouraged him to make amends. After all, the split between Esau and him was his fault: he had deceitfully defrauded his brother.

Isn’t that a common result of prayer? The Holy Spirit reminds us of the issues we haven’t really dealt with appropriately and tugs our conscience, reminding us we actually have to make things right. Jacob’s return home required another courageous step.

Repay Debts

Jacob stayed up that night and selected a gift for his brother Esau (Genesis 32:13). Officially, he didn’t owe Esau anything: his father’s oral blessing was legally binding even though Jacob had tricked his dad into thinking he was Esau. But spiritually, he needed to make things right. From all that Jacob had, he separated out that which would make restitution to his brother. In so doing, he let go of the greed that had driven him to defraud Esau.

Coming clean when we’ve wronged someone takes courage. Our pride likes to keep us from admitting our wrongs, and tempts us to justify ourselves by looking at the other person’s wrongs (real or not). But repaying debts we have the means to repay and apologizing for wrongdoing is essential for spiritual growth and healthy relationships.

Jacob couldn’t make up for all the pain he’d caused, but he readied what he could before meeting the challenge that comes next in this series.

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Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 1

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 2

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 4

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 5

 

 

Part two of a five-part message accompanying chapter 2 of The Story
Ruben's painting of Jacob and Esau reconciling
Peter Paul Rubens, “The Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau,” 1624

Sometimes doing what’s right brings hardship. An addict who finally seeks help must face all those things he was running from that got him hooked in the first place. Obeying Jesus’ command to talk to others about sin can strain relationships. Moving because we sense God’s call brings difficult adjustments and many losses. As happened to me, addressing a co-worker’s inappropriate actions can increase tensions in the workplace. The courageous course often passes through dark valleys.

Jacob’s was. In my last post, Jacob courageously started on his way to obey God’s command to return home, but heard Esau was coming with four hundred men.

With adrenaline flowing and heart racing, Jacob planned for the worse. He divided the people into two groups, thinking if Esau attacked one, the other could escape. Perhaps he considered fleeing back with the escapees if God didn’t come through.

But Jacob was a prophet and God’s command to go home was unmistakable. He didn’t allow panic to rule: he took another courageous step.

Be Still and Pray

Jacob stopped his frantic planning and prayed, a courageous step both because he had to pause from preparing to protect himself and because honest prayer opens us up to hearing what we might not want to hear, such as a word to move in a direction we’d rather not go.

Here’s Jacob’s faith-fostering prayer:

First, he recalled his relationship with God: He called God the God of his grandfather, Abraham, and his father, Isaac. He cried out, “O Lord, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper’” (Genesis 32:9).

Second, he remembered that God’s blessings are undeserved: “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups” (32:10). When we fear losing something, remembering that what we have is undeserved keeps us from concluding God owes us.

Third, he honestly stated his fear: “Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children” (32:11). Sometimes we think fear is of itself sinful, and that keeps us from admitting our fears to God and honestly asking for what we need. But Jacob didn’t do that: He told God exactly what he was afraid might happen.

Prayers like this calm fear. Do we fear financial ruin and loss of status? Do we worry about others’ opinions? Do we dread the loss of a beloved who brings us joy, companionship, and strength? Are we anxious over our child’s uncertain future? We can pray like Jacob.

Jacob’s prayer had a fourth element, but it’s so important that it stands alone as an important step of courage.

Promises Say

Jacob repeated God’s promise to him: “But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted’” (Genesis 32:12). Can’t you just hear peace calming his heart in the words, “But you have said,” as Jacob courageously put his trust in God’s promise? “But you have said” turns our focus from fear to faith.

Few things build faith and calm fear more than repeating God’s promises. When we need courage, we can write out God’s promises on cards and place them where we’ll see them often. We can memorize his promises and repeat them over and over until they’re a part of us. We can pray, “But you have said.” There’s nothing like God’s promises to bring peace in the presence of fear.

Jacob still hadn’t completed God’s task, though. We’ll continue this story in the next post.

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Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 1

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 3

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 4

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 5

 

 

Part one of a five-part message accompanying chapter 2 of The Story

Ruben's painting of Jacob and Esau reconciling

Peter Paul Rubens, "The Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau," 1624

When I was about 21 and working at a megachurch, a co-worker more than twice my age to whom I didn’t report moved two brown filing cabinets into my cubicle and dropped on my desk a foot-high stack of invoices to be filed and handwritten letters on yellow paper to be typed. A manager laughed when I told him and said to tell the co-worker his work wasn’t my job. As I tried, this much taller man with tight, grizzled curls and bristly beard lifted his chin high, stared down at me from watery blue eyes that drooped slightly at the outer corners, frowned, and said that I had to do whatever he said because I was a woman and he was a man.

As I tried to get myself out of this increasingly tense situation, my mouth felt full of cotton, my hand trembled, and I stuttered for the first time in my memory.

Later that afternoon he repeated his comments to the church’s chief administrator and was fired. But one thing I learned from that bizarre experience is that sometimes nervousness, tension, and fear bring unexpected physical responses that we can’t control.

I used to think just feeling fear was sinful: it’s not. God gave us physical responses so we could perceive and escape danger quickly. Many “Do not fear” verses are akin to a loving mother telling her child on the first day of school, “Don’t be afraid—you’ll be okay.” Others, like Jesus’ admonition not to fear those who can kill the body but not the soul (Luke 12:4), exhort us to courageously obey despite fear of consequences.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the willingness to do what’s right despite fear.

Revelation 21:8 initially struck me as odd: it says that the coward’s final destination is hell. You see, to continually disobey out of fear of losing something is to love that thing more than God—it’s idol worship. It’s the opposite of what Jesus said his followers must do: deny themselves and be willing to lose everything in the world and even their own lives for him (Matthew 16:24–26). Following Jesus takes courage.

C. S. Lewis put it this way in The Screwtape Letters: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.”

The Old Testament gives us an example of courageous obedience in the story of Jacob’s reunion with his twin brother, Esau. Jacob had fled Esau, who wanted to kill him. Yet God told Jacob to return home despite his fear. Jacob met the challenges he faced courageously in seven ways we can emulate.

Start on the Way

When God told Jacob to return home to his family, he’d been gone twenty years. His brother had vowed to kill him after Jacob tricked their father into giving him what belonged to Esau. Their mother had told Jacob she’d let him know when Esau’s anger subsided, but word never came. Nonetheless God told him to go home and promised to be with him. Jacob set out with his family, possessions, herds, flocks, and servants without knowing how God would protect him.

When we know what’s right to do, the first courageous step is to simply start on the way.

Starting out courageously is no guarantee all will go smoothly, however. Jacob sent Esau a message saying he was heading home. But when the messengers returned, they reported Esau was coming with four hundred men.

As with Jacob, when we courageously obey, our situation may seem to worsen. Jacob needed to continue to courageously act, as we’ll see in my next post.

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Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 2

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 3

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 4

Courage: Jacob’s Example Part 5