How to Fight Fear
Think back to a time when you were genuinely scared.
As much as we’d prefer to never experience fear, fear is a part of the human experience. But when we are afraid, we have options…
We can panic, stress, get overwhelmed with worry, overthink every worst-case scenario, and attempt to numb out the anxiety-inducing situations around us in unhealthy ways … or, we can echo David’s words:
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Psalm 56:3 ESV
Something worth noting is that these words were penned after David had been captured by the Philistines. He was being harassed by his enemies and was scared for his life.
But David refused to settle for scared.
He resisted the urge to let fear have the final say. He decided to fight back with Truth…
…And so can we.
We never have to fight alone. God has given us something more powerful than ordinary weapons: He’s given us His Word, His Spirit, and His people. Even when we don’t have access to the perfect inspirational sermon or a timely word of encouragement, we can pause and remember the truth: that God fights for us, He’s with us, and He’ll never leave us.
When we shift our minds from our overwhelming fear to God’s overwhelming faithfulness, everything changes. So, today, if you’re scared, anxious, terrified, overwhelmed, or uncertain—speak this out loud:
When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
The Best Plans
Jeremiah 29:11 is a popular verse that’s often slapped onto journals, etched into coffee mugs, and printed on t-shirts.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
And God does have a plan for you.
God does want to bless you.
God does want to give you hope and a future.
But, we should also pay attention to the original context …
In this case, God was speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah—people who’d recently been exiled to Babylon for 70 years.
The Jewish people were banished to a foreign land because of their insatiable appetite for sin. In fact, for 23 years Jeremiah had been warning them to stop rebelling against God or prepare to face the consequences.
God is patient, but He is also just.
In other words, the Jews were sent to timeout. And as you can read in the preceding chapters, God made a case against His ...