24
Aug '18
When Fear Creeps In
24
Aug '18
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. (Psalm 56:3)
When my daughter exclaimed, “Mommy, a bug!” I looked where she was pointing and saw the largest spider I have ever encountered outside of a pet shop. Both the spider and I knew that he would not be allowed to stay in our house. And yet, as I faced him, I found I could not take one step closer to end the standoff. My pulse quickened. I swallowed and gave myself a pep-talk. Still, fear kept me frozen in place.
Fear is powerful; it can override logical thinking and produce irrational behavior. Thankfully, Christians don’t have to let fear of anything—people, situations, or even spiders—rule our actions. We can declare, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in [God]” (Ps. 56:3).
Taking this stand against fear is consistent with the Bible’s instruction to “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Prov. 3:5). Our own understanding may lead us to overestimate the object of our fear and underestimate God’s power. When we are afraid, we can depend on God’s understanding (Isa. 40:28) and trust in His love for us that “casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). The next time fear creeps into your life, don’t panic. God can be trusted in the darkness.
Into His hands I lay the fears that haunt me, The dread of future ills that may befall; Into His hands I lay the doubts that taunt me, And rest securely, trusting Him for all.
I was blessed by this devotion. So often we allow fear to creep in but we must take a stand as children of God and claim what’s ours, peace that passes all understanding. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is a liar.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalm 116:1-2