I recently learned something very interesting and very practical from the Bible concerning fear. More on that in just a few minutes. Let’s consider some of what God’s Word has to say about fear.

There is a great truth about God’s perspective concerning fear in Psalm 34. It says in verse 4, “I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.” Some popular psychology of our day propounds that we need to live with our fears. If we are supposed to just accept and live with our fears, why doesn’t that verse say, “I sought the Lord and He heard me and told me to just live with my fears?” The will of God is clear; God desires to deliver us from all our fears.

Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man brings a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” A snare is a trap. In I John 4, it says that fear has torment. Having fear does not help us; fear brings torment and it entraps us.

After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ the disciples were behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. Fear, like worry and doubt, greatly interferes with our believing the promises of God.

Be Not Afraid, Only Believe!

You may be familiar with the record in Mark, Chapter 5. A man came to Jesus asking him to come and lay his hands on his dying daughter so that she could be healed. Jesus went with him, but along the way someone came and told that man it was too late, his daughter had died. As soon as Jesus heard those words he told that man, “Be not Afraid, only believe.”

This brief discussion about fear in this article is not about being in a field somewhere and seeing a bull coming your way and just saying, “I’m not afraid.” Of course not! You would get over the fence in a hurry!

And I’m also not referring to jumping off a cliff saying, “I’m not afraid, God will protect me because it says in His Word that He gives His angels charge over me; they will bear me up in their hands so that I won’t dash my foot against a stone.” Doing something foolish like that would certainly be tempting God.

I’m talking about fear that comes up due to circumstances and situations that we may face in our lives. Fear is not something that God wants us to just accept and live with. His desire is to deliver us from all our fears. Living with fear is a snare, it is torment, it is bondage. Fear keeps you from enjoying your life and it greatly hinders you from believing the promises of God.

There are lots of things today that people are afraid of: fear of losing their job, fear of getting into an accident, fear of an illness or recurring illness, fear of a lack of finances, and the list goes on and on.

In the second epistle of Timothy we find out that for those of us who are born again, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their lord and believes God raised him from the dead, the Bible says you are saved. A saved person, one who is born again, receives God’s spirit. and that spirit God gives us is not a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Fear happens in the mind. And at times we have to honestly ask ourselves, “What am I afraid of?” And when we recognize we have fear, what do we want to do about it?

I Learned Something Very Practical

in Reading David Bergey’s new book, 100 Scriptures to Help you Recover your Health, I learned something very practical concerning what God says about fear. While there are numerous places in the bible where God talks about not being afraid, in many of those places God tells us why we should not be afraid.

In the first chapter of the Book of Joshua, God is instructing Joshua to take the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses died and now Joshua was in charge. I can’t begin to fathom the weight on Joshua’s shoulders with such a responsibility.

But God not only told him to be strong and very courageous, but He told him why. God said, “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 was not alone – God was with him!

In Psalm 23, it says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” We are not alone! Even if you are “walking through the valley of the shadow of death,” which is a pretty scary place to be walking through, but if you are, like the Psalmist said, “I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” God is with you with His rod and staff.

In Psalm 46 it talks about not being afraid even if the mountains are falling into the sea and the earth is removed! Talk about being in a dramatic scenario and not being afraid! But why? It says because God is our refuge and strength and He is a very present help in trouble.

God Is Present!

God is not distant, far far away somewhere; He is present. He told Joshua I am with you; in Psalm 23 it says, Thou art with me, and in Psalm 46 it says He is present. We are not alone; He is here with us!

Many times in God’s Word you won’t read verses that say, “Don’t Be Afraid, don’t have any fear, just suck it up and be brave! Just be positive!” But rather, you read verses that say to fear not, because God is with you!

My favorite two verses about fear are in Isaiah 41, verses 10 and 13:

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.

For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

God repeatedly says to not be afraid, because, “I am with you!”

His Spirit Is In Us!

Ephesians 4 tells us there is one God and Father of us all, “Who is above all and through all, and in you all.” God is in us by way of the spirit, His spirit that he put in us. Are we alone? Absolutely not! And in those times when you feel all alone, remind yourself that you are not alone, God is in you!

In Philippians it says that God works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Are we alone? Absolutely not! And what is His good pleasure? It is certainly not to live in fear, but rather to help us, to strengthen us, to bless us, to be a very present help in time of trouble!

In Romans 8 chapter 11, there is a very wonderful verse regarding healing. “But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in you.” When it comes to sickness, fear not! Why? His spirit in you shall also quicken, make alive your mortal body!

In Acts 27, Paul was on a ship that was battered by a typhoon, and eventually, after many days, all hope was gone. But then Paul came and told them to be of good cheer, that no one was going to die. Why in the world would he tell those people who knew they were all about to die, to be of good cheer? Was he just some nutcase trying to be positive? “Okay everybody, let’s all just be positive here.”

He told them to be of good cheer because God sent an angel who told Paul, “Fear not, Paul… God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.” Paul then told them, “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” Once again, as you see in so many other places in God’s Word, when the message is to not be afraid, the reason why is given.

For you and me, in those times when we are having fear, we ought to focus on the great truth that we are not alone. God is with us, and in reality, God is in us by way of His spirit that is in us. He truly is present with us; He will strengthen us, He will help us, He will heal us, He will restore us, and He will protect us!

You are not alone!

Your loving God and Father will take you by the right hand saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you!”

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