"Do Not Fear. I Am with You." GodYesterday I had the wonderful privilege of speaking to a group of women on the topic of fear.
As I prepared for my presentation I realized that I have faced many, many fearful moments in my life. Of course I didn’t share them all, but as I thought about each I realized how waiting and fear can be so tangled up in each other.
God calls us to His Wait Room in order to build spiritual strength. If we are caught unaware and don’t realize that time in the Wait Room is growing and strengthening time we focus on the wrong thing.
Rather than get into a “body” building regimen, we allow fear to worm its way deep into our emotional world. Before we realize it, we become paralyzed with fright. We are immobilized.
Yesterday I asked a question, “Why do we – Christians that we are who have the power of Almighty God available to us, why do we cower, flinch, hide – when the frightening thing comes knocking?”
God repeats Himself time and again “Do not fear. I am with you.”
‘I am with you.” What loving, compassionate, caring words.
He also says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
I have to ask myself. “Do I believe Him?”
My new defense when I feel fear on the rise is to repeat to myself,
“I have nothing to fear. God is with me. He will never leave me or forsake me. He has my life in his hands and He knows what He is doing with me, even in the midst of this difficult circumstance.”
Then my only course of action is to pray and ask Him to give me direction.
“God, I feel fear rising. Please give me a battle plan to combat this fear and I will follow it. I trust You to watch over me, to protect me, to provide for my needs. I thank You ahead of time for what You are about to teach me and show me in this frightening place. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
God calls us to the Wait Room, not so fear can rise, but so strength can rise.
Learn this song. Sing it while you praise God in the Wait Room
Everlasting God STRENGTH WILL RISE as we wait upon the Lord.We will wait upon the Lord,We will wait upon the Lord.(repeat)Our God You reign forever,Our Hope, our strong deliverer.You are the everlasting God,The everlasting God.You do not faint, You won't grow weary.You're the defender of the weak,You comfort those in need.You lift us up on wings like eagles. Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.We will wait upon the Lord,We will wait upon the Lord.For those of you who have never heard this acrostic:FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real
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3 comments:
I stopped by to see what was happening in the waiting room. This weekend God let me know I was watering down my expectations in the waiting room. NOT GOOD. Sometimes we are afraid to embrace the dream He has given us. We are afraid we might be disappointed. Oh and here is the other thing. My expectations are only supposed to be in Him. Not in speaking engagements, in people's responses or thoughts. They all let you down at some point. What if my focus in the waiting room was solely on Jesus? My fruit would overflow and the other things happening or not happening around me would grow dim. Thanks Van...I needed to say this to myself as I start the day. Blessing await those who wait on the Lord. Have a great day. B
I think the reason the phrase "Fear Not" occurs so often in Scripture is that there are a lot of scary things out there.
And, realistically, Jesus leads us to a cross and what can be scarier than that? I wonder if He were afraid Himself in Gethsemane?
It's interesting to me that so often the "Fear not" comes when a person encounters the holy, an angel or when God speaks.
I like your quote:
“I have nothing to fear. God is with me. He will never leave me or forsake me. He has my life in his hands and He knows what He is doing with me, even in the midst of this difficult circumstance.”
Well said.
This was a great post for me to read. God leads me down this path a lot, and wants me to put my full trust in him. Things always work out. I have been through difficulties before and God is always with me. He provides and protects.
I am having some difficulty with a new co-worker. My tendency in the past was to worry and fret. Somewhere in the Bible it says fretting leads to evil. Praise God, He draws my thoughts back to him, and has also used a book study I am in to remember to praise Him, too. I love that song you posted the lyrics for by the way.