Freedom from Fear
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. Psalm 34:4-5
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These verses tell us that although fear is a normal, human reaction to danger or crisis, God has an antidote for our fear. We may fear death, failure, or people. We may be frightened about taking a new step, fearful of suffering, or anxious about what may happen tomorrow. Whatever the circumstances, we don’t have to be ashamed of being afraid or stuff our fears down inside and try to look brave. The very fear that plagues us can cause us to press into God’s presence. He invites us to pray to him and lay down our fears instead of being paralyzed by them, to fear and revere him (David mentions this fifteen times in Psalm 34) instead of anything or anyone else. An amazing thing happens when we give God our fears: in return for our fears he infuses us with faith, hope, and love. As F. B. Meyer said, “God incarnate is the end of fear; and the heart that realizes that he is in the midst . . . will be quiet in the midst of alarm.”
Prayers:
LORD, I give you all my fears today and look to you for help. Do a deep work in my heart concerning those things that strike fear in me. I know that your perfect love will cast out all my fears. Thank you for your promise to answer me when I call to you, to free me from fear and shame, and to make me radiant with joy.
Quotes:
Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable—and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God.
Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878–1969)
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Exodus 35:10–36:38; Matthew 27:32-66; Psalm 34:1-10 and Proverbs 9:7-8.
