Afraid? Run Here to Overcome Fear ~ WORD17, Week 34

Afraid?

Thunderstorms cause it.

Rejection, too.

Physical harm spins its angle, death as well.

Not being enough or failing in life holds hands with this emotion.

Call it ugly.

Call it knee-knocking.

Call it FEAR.

What causes us to be afraid?

How do we react when faced with fear?

Jot down several situations which bring rise to fear.

Got ’em?

Study your list. Note beside each situation or emotion what your automatic reaction tends to be. Here’s an example:

For instance, a fear of failure is one of mine. (Such as in this story on 2 Steps to Remember in the Face of Rejection.)

The reaction?

I typically turn from the situation, hiding or running away, hoping never to face it again.

Call it a solution, a poor one at best.

The Lord assures us of a better, lasting resolution – Him.

David fought fear well. I’m convinced God hand-picked our familiar king in order to offer us sound counsel and an example for beautiful, spiritual success.

The key?

David ran to trust in God.

When afraid, he chose to place his trust in our Father.

When afraid, run like David - run to trust in the Lord.  Click To Tweet

According to the Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)¹, David found himself in imminent peril when Psalm 56 was penned. There’s nothing like fear for our physical well-being to bring rise to a little knee-knocking, is there? Yet, in the midst of arrows flaming his way, David chose to trust God.

Where do you place your trust when fear comes knocking?

I’m alongside you, asking this very question, especially lately. Because ultimately, we have freedom of choice as to where trust lands.

Flip through a few pages of The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible and land on the definition for trust. These words and phrases might dance in front of your face:

to hasten for refuge

bold (confident, secure, sure) ²

When I’m afraid, I long to be confident and secure in the Lord. You too?

As David did with his simple turn in trust, placing our hope in the strength of the Lord opens a credible, strength-offering, secure pathway past fear.

Now, when fear of failure begins to blaze, and I know forward motion is God’s absolute will, I purposefully continue the journey ahead, praying and gathering strength from Scripture, trusting God. (And often even reassuring myself of that trust and saying it out loud. I figure if it’s good for David, it’s good for a girl in Oklahoma as well!)

Are you ready to trust God in the face of fear?

We’re memorizing Psalm 56:3 this month. Previous September WORD17 posts can be found here and here. Trust well, my friend, and keep His Word deep within the heart.

¹ Bible Study Tools. 2017. “Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete).”  www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/psalms/56.html

² Blue Letter Bible. 2017. “Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.” https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H982&t=KJV