I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
I hate fear.
I literally hate fear. From the age of six to twenty-six, fear encompassed my life. Fear of dogs, cats, riding in cars, speaking in front of people crossing the street, clowns, and being robbed, paralyzed me. So much to the point, that there were times I wouldn’t leave my home or would find ways to get out of planned family trips. Before long, fear almost ruined my marriage and my life. After years of prayer for the Lord to remove this thorn in my flesh, the Lord spoke,
“You have to be willing to let it go.”
When I originally, heard these gentle words from the Lord I was convinced that maybe I misheard. After all, I had been praying for years to be free from the crippling bondage of fear. Yet, the Lord started to reveal that fear had become the foundation of my life. In my own way, fear was my way of remaining in control and not trusting Him. In my mind, if I did everything I could to remain safe, I would preserve my life for longer. If it meant not getting in the car, avoiding people, or not crossing the street, I was willing to do it. Before long, the fear of death and the unknown were a part of every decision that I made. I had become a self-proclaimed “fear-aholic” and my choice to cling to fear was infiltrating every aspect of my life. I had to make a choice to let it go once and for all.
Over the years, the Lord began to point me to His word about fear. Over and over, you see God speak to His people and tell them not to fear.
In Joshua 1:9, He says it like this
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
In the New Testament, Jesus speaks a similar sentiment as He says,
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
As you read the Bible, you will not find an instance when the Lord calls His children to live in terror. Instead, He encourages us that He is present in the midst of trouble and reminds us that He gives us peace. God goes further in 1 John 4:18 to say that His perfect love drives out all fear. I believe that this verse is a reminder that when we accept His love for us it would be impossible to live a life of fear. For when we recognize His unending love, we recognize that He has our best interest at heart, we remember that He will never leave us or forsake, and we are aware that He has angels that surround us to protect us from harm. In other words, His love has us covered. So much so, that the fear of death that many people carry is nothing compared to God’s love. For those, who have accepted Him know that when their life ends it is just beginning with God in eternity. This is why the Bible says,
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Corinthians 15:55
Yes, we can live a life in complete peace knowing that God is with us from life to death and beyond! Fear has to go when we are in right alignment with Jesus and He is our safe place. My prayer for you today is that if you’ve been plagued with fear that God can bring you peace and that you would be willing to completely surrender those fears over to Him.
Lord, I thank you for your love. Help me to receive that love and maintain an awareness of that you are with me. I pray against fear and every attack of the enemy against my life. Teach me to run to you when fear overtakes me. Lord, I recognize fear as a tool of the enemy to rob me of the life you have ordained for me. Teach me to be wise and no longer allow fear to be my resting place. I thank you that you are with me at all times and I cannot outrun your love or your protection. Help my mind to rely on you above all. In Jesus Name. Amen
For more on living a life of everyday victory, I invite you to purchase the Victory Walk: A 21 Day Devotional on Amazon today by clicking here. While you await your new book, head over to itunes, Spotify, Youtube or Amazon Music and sing out your victory with my latest single, "My Victory."
* Excerpts from the above article was originally written by Victoria Riollano on ibelieve.com*