Fear

I have fears.

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress. I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

As a child....I'm sure I had my share of fears, but I felt braver then sometimes. My parents encouraged me and I believed I could do anything. By the time I was five, I was rock climbing, rapelling, back packing and white water canoeing with my Dad. Today...not so much...I get nervous driving my son to youth on a dark rainy night.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7

The ESV writes it this way: for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

The evil one knows that when we are focused on our fears...our eyes are not in focus on our Saviour. Our fears can either motivate us to run into the strong arms of our Heavenly Father or they can imobilize us so that we are held captive by them.

When we are focused on our fears....we can see nothing else.

I have struggled with so many forms of fear....fear of failure, fear of success, fear of loss, fear of rejection, fear of inadequacy, fear of pain, fear of the unknown....the list goes on....

I am beginning to recognize it now, I believe, for what it is....an attack on my mind....to take my eyes off of Jesus. It starts as a small dark feeling of dread, worry and what ifs....and grows like a shadow.

But the truth is this.....found in 1 John 1:5......God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

Look to the Light.

I often think of David when I think of my fears....You can read about him in 1 Samuel 17. If David had focused his mind on Goliath....he never would have defeated him. But no...David's mind was focused on his God...David says..."You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied...." he goes on...you've heard and read this story as a child...read it again.

Let your heart and mind meditate on this...I think David knew from experience what he was talking about when he wrote this in Psalms 62:5-6...he phrases it a second time, slightly different...

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.