Fear?!?
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.”
~ Psalm 34:4-7 (ESV)
I have a confession to make. I have a phobia. Actually there are two of them. I have the fear of driving and flying. The flying – well I pretty much can avoid going on a plane, unless of course I want to visit my family. That is maybe why I only visit my home-country once every 4 years or so.
But the fear of driving – that is another story. Many of you know what I work outside the home. I have to drive about 25 miles each day to get to/from work. It is a daily battle for me to get into the car and drive. It is irritating to say the least…
Someone once said to me “How can you, as a Christian, have fear. It seems to me that you don’t have enough faith”. I was shocked to hear that. So I questioned my faith – ‘yes, how can I have fear when I am a child of God??? There is no reason to be fearful. Do I not have enough faith to trust the Lord to keep me safe?’
Let me just say that the only way I can make my journey to/from work is keeping close to the Lord. He is the only way I can make it. You don’t know how many times I had to pull over because my heart was beating like crazy – I was ready to pass out…The only way my heart would come down is to pray.
Sometimes we feel like a failure, because we don’t have it all together. We cry, we fear, we ask ‘why, Lord’. Sometimes even our sisters in faith questioning our break-downs ‘you shouldn’t feel that way’…But in all reality, if we would have it all together at all times, would be seek the Lord? Or would we just depend on our own strength to get through our struggles?
Did David never struggle? Did he always had it together? Or think of your Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. I don’t know if it was fear that made Jesus sweat blood. But I do know that He turned to God for strength. And I call that faith and trusting the Lord…
“Lord of Heaven and Earth. Thank you for delivering us from our fears, struggles and breakdowns. Lord, You love us and give us the strength to face everything that comes our way on a daily basis. Although we struggle at times (or daily), You always calm our hearts. Lord, You are our strength, our rock, our peace. Thank You for Your promise to always be at our side. In the precious name of Jesus we pray ~ Amen.”
Blessings on your day and always…
Bless you dear Iris.
Excellent post today! I love what you have said here. It seems so simple, but yet so profound!!! Thanks for sharing!
Iris, thank you so much! A friend of mine and I were just talking about this very thing today. I am goint to e-mail here this URL and have her read it. I believe it will give her comfort! Thanks for the great post!
Iris, I just read this in my devotional this morning and was so blessed it brought me to tears. Perhaps it will encourage you as well.
“Lord Jesus, as I think back over my journey with You, I remember wondering, ‘Why can’t You instantly make me like You?’ If that had happened, I would have had a new me that I did not know living in my body. Your way is perfect. Gradually I have seen what I am like apart from You and I began relying less on myself andmore on You. Thus I have fallen more and more in love with You and turned loose more and more of my trust in myself.”
We are all on a journey Iris. I believe the Lord works patiently and with much grace on our lives a little at a time – growing us to be more like Jesus. He wants us to trust Him for all that we need – just as you have said.
Thank you for sharing your heart in such an honest way. It encourages me – for I know I have times when I am very fearful too.
I, too, have a fear… and anxiety – I do not think that means I’m not Christian tho… Thanks for sharing this post, today.
Although it took me a while to realize it, I struggle with this as well. It took a while to see how much I allowed and still allow fear to dictate choices a I make. Recognizing those fears and such has showed me how greatly I rely on God for everything and how much I truly need Him. thank you for sharing this today. Be blessed.
This, for me is a very timely post. I struggled with severe panic attacks, and even agoraphobia for a couple of years. Now I am facing a new battle and last night I prayed to God for help, I hadn’t done that in a while, I didn’t want to do that anymore but.. I don’t think it is always a matter of not having enough faith, as you well know, life is very scary and we are very frail beings, and no one should make you feel like you are somehow at fault for your phobia. You are so right when you say if we always had it together, would we turn to God? No, I don’t think the majority of us would. It is only in suffering that most of us really turn to God, when are defenses are down, we are beyond scared, I know I have been there, like you, almost ready to pass out. I believe God is with you, every single day you drive to work, and I believe He also very proud of you, because you keep going, you keep trying, and you keep praying.
I am terrified of heights… I cannot go up a mountain in a car on the outside lane… then I cannot come down that mountain on the other side…… I am in the floor….. I am afraid of water if I cannot see the shore…. I am a good swimmer but I have to be able to see the land……… I am terrified of tunnels under mountains and I will not go in any kind of cave………
but I also read my bible and pray to an all powerful God… I lay hands on the sick and I have seen them recover…. I pray in my understanding and I pray in the spirit……. People fail to understand that we are flesh and blood with the weaknesses of that flesh. but we are also the temple of the God with the Holy Spirit of promise dwelling within us……….. One day we will no longer fear…………
But in all reality, if we would have it all together at all times, would be seek the Lord?
Oh Iris…. Thank you for this wonderful post. None of us have it together. You are right we would not seek the Lord if we did.
Wonderful!
Today is the day for me to read all the things that target something in my life. This is the second time the Lord has “triggered” something that I need to deal with !
Bless you Iris for this encouraging and important post—God is not the author of fear…but the giver of peace.
(((HUGS)))
Lovely post Iris. So many times as Christians we think we’re supposed to have it all together. Thanks for the reminder that we don’t, we simply have to have faith in God and his ability to keep us.
Hey Iris,
Bless you heart. Since I’ve moved to a bigger city, I’ve been experiencing fear on the interstates. I came from a small town, and now driving is so emotional for me.
I will pray for you OK? Now you please pray for me. Let’s get SET FREE.
Blessings!