What are you afraid of? Tom and I were reading the traditional list of things people are afraid of. The number one fear: public speaking. Neither one of us has this fear, but I have plenty of others. I am afraid of heights. I didn’t used to be, but now I get these urges to just fling myself into space. This is not my only fear, but our fears are personal and we hold them close. One of my fears is that others will make fun of my fears.
But the other day I was reading Psalm 46 and the first few verses really stuck with me.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
The last verse of Psalm 46 was the inspiration for Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
God is our refuge. Our strength. Therefore, we will not fear, though . . .
How would you finish that last sentence? Therefore I will not fear, though I climb the highest, steepest path. Therefore I will not fear, though I walk all alone. I will be afraid, though I lose every penny or all my health or every friend. Can you say that you trust God this much?
What makes you afraid? What makes you tremble and lapse into timidity?
If God is our refuge and strength, then he helps us when we are in trouble. If God is our fortress, then no one win in an attack against us. God is our ever-present help which means he will never leave us alone or abandon us when we call on him.
These are powerful statements, powerful promises. They make me bold even in the midst of my fears. Therefore, I will not fear.
I am afraid of dark water, but I make myself swim in our lake as much as possible each summer to keep this fear from getting any worse. When I feel afraid in the water, I try to tell myself: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Even if I were to be snatched by a dino-creature or trapped in a sunken shipwreck (yes, my fears are that irrational), God would be with me in that moment and that situation. In your case, I might say, “Therefore, we will not fear, though … I find myself flung into space!” Thank you for this sweet reminder of God’s care and goodness.
Thanks for sharing. Psalm 139 is a great psalm for getting through our fears. You are doing a great job of facing your fears, with God’s strength, and not letting fear defeat you.
We do our best when we surrender into His arms…for any dark valley I walk through, He is always with me.
Therefore I will not fear when I am not enough, because God is.