So, What are you afraid of?
Are you worried or scared about the next step in your life? Sometimes, life can seem really foreboding. We might be afraid that we can’t accomplish the next step in our dream. Or that it will beat you down into failure. Maybe God is asking you to do something that you fear will cause you trouble? And you are shaking in fear about moving forward.
Childhood Fears
When I was a child, I was scared of the dark. I was certain that the devil was under my bed. His gnarly fingernails came up around the sides of the mattress. I tried to stay as much in the center as I could. And never, never step down on the floor because he would definitely grab your legs and pull you down under the bed to devour you.
I would look across the room and see a large monster headed my way. Actually, there were only the shadows that scared me. What I have since learned is that there is nothing to fear in the shadows. Shadows can’t hurt you and they always seem much bigger than the real thing that is blocking the light. I was visually impaired from early on which is what caused a lot of my issues. I couldn’t really see the truth. Yes, that monster was only my robe blocking the light from the hallway.
Have we carried our fears into adulthood?
We aren’t seeing the whole truth. We aren’t looking at the truth but instead, we are believing the lies from Satan. Fears of things that will never happen or won’t be nearly the problem we think. These things are paralyzing our actions when in actuality, it’s only a shadow. We can walk right through it.
Yea, 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 23:4The Voice version of Psalm 23 says
Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness,
I am not overcome by fear.
Because You are with me in those dark moments,
near with Your protection and guidance,
I am comforted.
Satan likes to trick us into thinking that he is bigger and meaner than anything. He whispers in our ear that he is out there ready to pounce on us. Now, it is true that Satan is waiting to pounce on us. And we do need to be alert and on guard.
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
But that is not the whole picture. We have forgotten what that verse is sandwiched between. Verses like “Cast your cares upon Him (that is, God) for he cares for you. (verse7) And verse 9, “Resist him (the devil), standing firm in the faith,”
What? Resist HIm? Stand Firm?
Yes, that is what it says. Resist him. The book of James says it too. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” In her book, Fully Alive, Susie Larson shared that she recently learned that a lion has a big roar and he does prowl around waiting for an opportunity to pounce but did you also know that a lion has very little stamina. It can pounce quickly, but it also runs out of energy quickly. This tells me that, [ctt template=”9″ link=”AV9be” via=”yes” nofollow=”yes”]with God, we can outrun, outlast, outmaneuver the Devil.[/ctt] We have nothing to fear with God on our side.
Yes, we have the Lion of Judah on our side.
The greatest lion of all. He is our protector and our salvation. We have nothing to fear. James followed up his words about fleeing the devil with this, “Come close to God, and He will come close to You.” James 4:8
Proverbs 31:25 says, Clothed in strength and dignity, with nothing to fear, she smiles when she thinks about the future.
And our God knows the end of the story!
“Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory! Revelation 5:5
Let’s drop those fears and grab hold of our shield of faith and get into the battle. For indeed, we have already won!
The Victory is ours for the taking!
Pastor’s Wife (retired) & Chronic Pain Warrior blogs about how to make it through anything by relating her own life experiences to her writing. She is passionate about her love for the Lord and desires to spread that passion to others. She has a great desire to encourage women who are following behind her.
Love how you personalized the Psalm!
Thanks, It’s a practice I have been doing for a long time in my personal studies. THanks for dropping by.
Amen! That’s why I’m finally stepping beyond my fear to do something (respite foster care) that I truly believe God is calling me too.
I’m proud of you for taking this step. I think you will love it.
This is a helpful post. I used to be afraid of stepping forward, just settling for what I knew because no matter how bad it was, it was still more comfortable than the unknown. Then I adopted 2 Tim. 1:7. It took many years before I started believing it. Now, I know that I walk in the strength and power of Christ and there is nothing to fear.
Great post Mandy. Fear was a governing force in my life growing up but God’s perfect love casts out all fear.
Amen to that! I only wish I could have learned things earlier!
Amen, Suzette! There is no fear! Praise the Lord!