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You Can Find Freedom from Fear!
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but so many people today are filled with fear.
There’s a foreboding, and many of us wonder where the future will take us.
We fear losing our health, our wealth, our freedoms, our jobs, and even our loved ones.
Honestly, we are filled with fear!
But the Bible tells us not to Fear!
“Do not be afraid.”
And, “Do not worry!”
“Do not fear!”
In verses like Psalm 91:5, we read, “You shall not be afraid.”
But it’s foolish to tell people “there’s nothing to fear but fear itself.”
During the Great Depression. President Roosevelt shared that quote, and it was a really good line.
“There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.”
However, there are some things we should be afraid of in life.
For example, we should have a healthy fear of things like hurricanes and earthquakes and tornadoes, and certain snakes.
God gives us natural fears for our self-preservation and self-protection.
Also, there’s a kind of fear that’s called the “fear of the Lord.”
Proverbs 1:7 says it this way, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
To fear the Lord is not to be scared of God or to cringe at the thought of Him.
Instead, according to Pastor Adrian Rogers,
“The fear of the Lord is just love on its knees and the one who fears God the most loves God the best.”
So there are rational, healthy fears.
And there also is the fear of the Lord, which is a healthy respect and admiration and great honor of our Holy God.
But there is one more type of fear that’s mentioned in the Bible that’s not a good thing.
It’s called the “Spirit of Fear.”
Second Timothy 1:7 mentions this term, “God has not given us a spirit of fear.”
This is an unproductive and unhealthy fear.
This kind of fear debilitates and destroys us.
According to Psalm 91, this is the kind of fear God wants us to get rid of.
Psalm 91 teaches us that no matter how dark the hour may be, we can say with confidence,
“I will not be afraid.”
And, “I will not live in fear.”
Or, “I will not spend my days full of a spirit of fear.”
So, the first way you can find freedom from Fear is to discover the Secret Place.
Truly, if you want to live without a spirit of fear, you need to discover the secret place.
Psalm 91 verse one reads this way,
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Highest shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
In the Message, this verse reads,
“You who sit down in the High God’s presence, and spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow.”
God is Our Hiding Place
When you were a child, did you have a special hiding place?
Or maybe a getaway or a refuge where you could go to hide or feel safe?
As kids, we had a treehouse that my dad built in our backyard. It was our safe place from all of the bullies in the neighborhood.
Similarly, God is our safe place from “bullies” and anything or anyone else who scares us!
In your own life, have you discovered the secret place of your God??
A second way you can find freedom from Fear is to enjoy the Sacred Place.
If you want to Live free from fear, is that you must enjoy the sacred place. Psalm 91 mentions this sacred place.
As a child of God, you are coming into the place of God’s closest presence.
God’s presence is the sacred place.
Because of Jesus, you and I can go in there every day and abide and spend time with our Lord.
How God can be our refuge as we spend time in His presence?
Psalm 16:11 tells us, “In His presence, is fullness of joy.”
When we spend time in God’s presence, our entire beings are changed.
The “spirit of fear” is replaced by a spirit of calm and peace and joy.
If you are struggling with the spirit of fear today, I want to encourage you to get into God’s presence and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty.
Sit down in the high God’s presence, and your fears will flee!
They will just vanish!
What Does This Look Like?
In my own life, to get alone with God, I have a quiet place.
I go into a closet where I can close the door.
Nothing else is with me or distracts me. No phone or watch or people. (At times, there is a cute little dog with me.)
Then, I get quiet before the Creator of this universe and allow His peace to wash over me.
You don’t have to go into a closet to pray.
But you need to get somewhere where you’re not distracted by anyone or anything else.
Then look up to heaven. Maybe even raise your hands to heaven.
Tell God you have a spirit of fear, and you need His peace today.
I dare you to try it!
It will CHANGE your life!
A third way you can find freedom from Fear is to rest in the Safest Place.
Finally, to discover freedom from fear, we learn to rest in the safest place.
Psalm 91 verse 2 puts it this way,
“I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’”
Everything else in the world is going to come apart, but you will be safe in God’s presence.
You can trust Him!
No matter what is happening around us, we can rest–pressed in close to God!
No Matter What!
God’s promise of freedom from fear doesn’t mean you and I will never face death or disease, or that nothing bad will ever happen to us.
But what God says is this.: Nothing, absolutely nothing, can come to you unless it comes with His allowance.
And He will work it together for His glory and your good.
Romans 8:28 reminds us of this truth –
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
To Find Freedom from Fear:
First, to overcome the spirit of fear in our lives, we must discover the secret place. This is that place where we press in close to God.
Second, to overcome the spirit of fear in our lives, we learn to enjoy the sacred place. In other words, we begin to spend time alone with God every single day.
Third, to overcome fear, we learn to rest in the safest place. That is, we begin to trust in our great and awesome God.
Let’s go back to the beginning.
At the start, we said there are healthy and rational fears that protect us. These are things like being afraid of snakes or spiders.
We also said there is the fear of God, which is a healthy respect and love for Almighty God.
But then there is this “spirit of fear.”
Are you struggling with that one?
If so, why not press in a little closer to God today?
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Years ago, I learned a song as a child that comes to mind often.
Maybe you know it?
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”
My prayer for you and me is that this year we will spend more time with our eyes turned to Jesus!
He is our ultimate place for peace!
Before we go… I want to refer you to a wonderful resource on the Love Worth Finding website.
It’s an entire page dedicated to dealing with fear and anxiety and stress!
There are sermons, devotions, and other resources that may encourage you.
Just click Dealing with Fear & Anxiety to learn more!
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We are so blessed by you!
Remember –
We are ordinary women pursuing an extraordinary God who adores us!
In Him, we can face the future without fear!
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