Fear

5 posts

Faith or Trust

TRUST is believing and doing what God tells me in the Bible, even when it is hard to do. DOUBT is attempting to find another alternative in the face of clear biblical teaching. FAITH is knowing the difference between trust and doubt and doing what God says over what I want or fear. FEAR is listening to doubt instead of faith. Thus trust is a biblical response to fear. The world is often a scary place. Life is full of things that you and I cannot control. We cannot eliminate the things that bring fear from our daily lives. We cannot will our children to safety. In response to fear God calls us to trust him: In God, whose word […]

Why Aren’t You safe?

A Texas superstore. A Dayton entertainment district. A school. These should be safe places, but they were not. Why? The Holy Spirit wrote Scripture knowing exactly what fears you would face in this your life. The face of terror is ugly and unnerving. Cafes, concerts, sporting events, and church are common gatherings that traditionally have provided places of safety and refuge. But as the terror of the dark human heart is revealed before our eyes, the reality is that there is no place apart from God where anyone is truly safe. What happened in Texas and Ohio this past weekend could just as easily have happened to anyone of us and our families. Evil may wear the face of an […]

When Your Child is Afraid

The world is indeed a scary place. You cannot will your children to safety. You cannot wish cancer away. You cannot remove the drunk driver from the road. You cannot force world leaders to be wise and responsible. You cannot stop dangers on the playground or even in your backyard. You cannot stop the hurricane, the flood, or the earthquake. You cannot promise your child that bad things will never happen in life. This means that you cannot assure your children that bad things won’t happen. It is not helpful or accurate to say that there is nothing to fear. Life is full of fearful things. However, fearful things are not reasons to be afraid!  This is the message that […]

Strength in the Valley of Anxiety

The middle portion of Psalm 23 begins with a commitment to renew your strength and to lead you along paths that are true. These comforting assurances are exactly what is needed to walk through the dark valleys of life. David understood well how dark these valleys can be. His song is filled with the emotions of loss, betrayal, grief, guilt, and sadness. He knew intimately the depth of despair that inhabits these valleys.   Remember that David’s own sons attempted to take away his kingdom. One wanted to kill him. David knew loneliness and betrayal. He often had good reason for fear for his life and safety. Yet in the face of these anxiety-laden circumstances, he drew comfort that the […]

Freedom From Fear

The eighth chapter of Romans provides a sure hope for conquering fear. The strong, yet tender, words of the Holy Spirit provide hope and encouragement when fears arise in your life or the life of your children. There is no fear that you have that cannot be conquered by God’s power at work in you!  As Hebrews 11:1 says, “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” The greatest fear anyone can have is the condemnation of God. But in Christ, there is no condemnation. Confront your fear with this truth. You do not have to be controlled by fear. Apply the hope and encouragement of this wonderful chapter to help […]