Replacing Fear

Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be faint hearted. Isaiah 7:4a (New American Standard Bible)

It seems that many times when God's people were threatened by other nations their first response was fear. Isaiah 7:2 says their hearts shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind. Fear always seems based in what we believe the outcome of a situation will be. The "what ifs" grow to such an extent that fear becomes the result. This doesn't mean that the situation isn't real. After all, there was an approaching enemy. Their threats were real, their anger was real, their size was real. But what Judah failed to do, and what we often fail to do, is realize God always has the last word. And God's answer to all the threats was, "It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass." God is the boundary setter. He is the One who determines the end result of any circumstance in our life.

Our words and our thoughts are the seeds that take root in our minds and produce a harvest of fear. How often we respond to danger or tragedy with thoughts such as, "This is going to do me in, I am alone, I am defeated, I am powerless, I am not going to survive this." When all the time we have a God who says, "I will never leave you, I work all things together for good, I see the beginning from the end, you are the apple of my eye."

So how do we go against the fears? Remember and voice the truth. It is amazing how quickly words of truth can extinguish fear. Here are a few phrases that can be used to replace fear with peace, strength, and confidence.

*God (not circumstances or people) is in control of my life. He determines the outcome of each situation that comes my way.

*Everything in my life is Father filtered. It has already passed through Him before it gets to me. Job comes to mind so much.

*His many words of comfort and assurance are meant as much for me today as they were for God's people in Bible times.

*In every circumstance I am held in His hands, sheltered under His wings, and enclosed in His capsule of grace.

Father, when fears crop up help me to not give situations more power by buying into lies. You are my rock and my shelter against any storm. You determine outcomes and results. As long as I live on this side of eternity I have not seen the end of the story yet. Amen.

Be Strong and Take Courage - Don Moen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvpdMdxzyrs&feature=related

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.