290 Fear

The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.

Selwyn Duke

I’ve been thinking about fear a lot lately…

According to Merriam-Webster’s Thesaurus,

Synonyms for fear include: Dismay; anxiety; panic; dread; worry; apprehension; nervousness; agitation; cowardice; agitation.

Fear is universal – it is mentioned in the Bible 404 times.

Dismay is mentioned 31 times.

Some of my go-to verses regarding fear include:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:9 KJV

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Psalm 46:1-3 KJV

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Proverbs 29:25 KJV

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10 KJV

8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged

Deuteronomy 31:8

Peace is Impossible in the Presence of Fear

I learned that lesson the hard way

in the many times of my life that I sought comfort from

the world

the wrong people

intoxicants

false teachers

and my own overthinking.

All of these methods moved me away from my faith

and opened the door for bad influences

to take hold of my soul.

My ever-questioning mind asked a lot of questions and was very uncomfortable during these periods of my life.

Because none of these things gave me the peace I craved.

Without peace, fear flourished

and my overthinking mind felt out of control.

I needed a solution for my fear, worry, anxiety, panic, and dread.

Back to Merriam-Webster I went to find:

Antonyms for fear include: Confidence; assurance; boldness; courage; fearlessness; bravery; self-assurance; guts!

But the further I strayed from God

the more fear and anxiety grew

and my overthinking was in overdrive.

I craved peace – but I did not want to relinquish control.

There was a spiritual battle going on in my mind

for control of my soul.

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However,

the louder the battle raged,

the more insistent God’s prompts became –

reminding me of His abiding love, and

His promise to never leave or forsake me.

That

Elohim (God, Judge, Creator)

El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)

El Elyon (The Most High God)

Adonai (Lord, Master)

Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)

Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)

Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)

Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)

Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)

Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)

Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You, The Lord Who Makes Holy)

El Olam (The Everlasting God)

Qanna (Jealous, Zealous)

Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)

Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)

Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

was asking for control of my life.

Not by force or intimidation,

but by gentle reminders

It became very clear that I had a decision to make:

I could either live in fear and search for peace in the methods of the world that had already proven themselves false

or

relinquish control to God

who has been a guiding force in my life since I was born (when I chose to listen).

I chose God

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The Opposite of Fear is Peace

At this stage in my life, with my fears being exactly where they belong –

in the hands of God.

I am no longer afraid of the future

because I cannot influence it, nor am I in control of world events.

I no longer worry about my soul

because Jesus Christ is my Savior.

People and things I would formerly have worried about

I pray for.

I am experiencing abiding peace for the first time in my life.

My life is peaceful

My mind is still

My focus is sharper than ever

I notice things that I didn’t before

My gift of discernment is at the forefront of my mind daily.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 KJV

My hope for all who are reading this is

that you can find the peace that passes all understanding

that I have found.

XO Lisa ❤️