Fear not, do not be afraid

Genesis 15:1  After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

Genesis 26:24    Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring ”

Genesis 46:3   “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.”

Exodus 14:13    “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today.”

Deuteronomy 31:6     “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

1 Chronicles 28:20    “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you”

Isaiah 35:4    “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Isaiah 41:10     “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:14    “I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel”.

Isaiah 43:1    “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

Isaiah 51:12     “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,”

Daniel 10:12    “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”

Matthew 8:26     And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”

Revelation 1:17    But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,

Matthew 10:28-31     And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Luke 12:32    “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Fear has a way of robbing us joy, peace, comfort, and rest.  It creeps in through the father of lies and festers inside of us seeping poisonous thoughts into heart and mind.  Fear is cruel and unforgiving.  It attacks us at our core and cares not for the damage it causes in our lives.

I am not talking about the natural sudden fear we are born with that results in fight or flight reactions.  The fear I am talking about comes from limited faith in what God can do.  It finds the cracks in our faith and seeps through undetected.  It eats away at the mortar of faith little by little until we are left with rubble where once a solid wall stood.

Throughout scripture we are given example upon example of God’s unfailing love, unwavering purpose, awesome power and mighty deeds.  He wants us to know of them and trust in Him, cling to Him, and rely on Him.

Fear can be recognized and shut down.

When you recognize fear of doubt and uncertainty  – give it into God’s hands

When you recognize fear of purpose – trust God’s perfect purpose

When you recognize fear of plans disrupted – trust God’s perfect plan timing

When you recognize fear of finances – rely on God who all things belong

When you recognize fear of health – trust in God the healer

When you recognize fear of disappointment – rest in God the restorer

When you recognize fear of those in leadership – know that God is in control

When you recognize fear of loneliness – cling to God who will never leave or forsake you – He knows the number of hairs on your head

When you recognize fear of the darkness of the society – trust in God the light of the world

When you recognize fear of being lost – call on God who is a place of refuge

When you recognize fear of waiting – know that God is working His perfect plan and purpose for you

When you recognize fear of spiritual warfare – Call on God and trust in His power

When you recognize fear of death – know the eternal God is holding your hand and will protect and carry you through

When you recognize fear of a new challenge – trust God will equip you

Fear should not have a place but it seems to be in our lives.  Recognize it and allow it always lead you closer to God in a much stronger faith.  God can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.

He hears us

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Job 6:2    “Oh that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!  For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash.  For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

Psalms 88:1   O LORD, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.

Psalms 27:9     Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

Psalms 27:1    The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Isaiah 12:2     “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Nehemiah 1:6    let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.

Even in our darkest moments God is there.  When all around us seems to be in turmoil and chaotic God is there.  When we turn to Him we find rest for our soul.  When we turn to Him we find light in the darkness.  When we turn to Him we find peace in the chaos.  Our troubles are known by our Heavenly Father.  He cares for us and has promised to be our strength, our shield, our hope, our place of refuge.