When Fear Comes

January 28, 2019 by  
Filed under Faith, Faith Articles

By Karen King –

“I will praise the Lord, Who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence…” Psalm 16: 7-8, 11a (NASB)

Are you a fearful person?  Before you answer this question, take a minute to search your soul.  Do you often find yourself trembling inside because of the perilous times we live in or circumstances that you find yourself in?  Do you ever fear that you will not be able to stand through all that may come?  It’s just you and God so answer truthfully!  If you answered “yes” to this question, believe me, you are not alone.

Fear has been something I have struggled with much too often in my life. Some might say that I have had good reason to fear and by human standards that is probably very true, but I know my God.  I have spent much time teaching His Word and yet I still KNOW that I cannot let my guard down for a second or the fiery darts of fear will be aimed at the battlefield of my mind by the enemy of my soul and they will certainly find their way into my mind and heart from there.  I’m being perfectly honest with you so that you will be honest with God and honest with yourself.  We all have strongholds that we struggle against and fear is a powerful one.

The key to overcoming overwhelming fear is putting your trust in a Sovereign God Who is always in control, always aware of your situation and always present in your past, present and your future.  Yes, because He is not limited by time, He is already in your future conquering those things that frighten you.  “Nothing can ever touch you that is not first filtered through God’s fingers of love,” as my beloved teacher, Kay Arthur, says often. And a truer statement never was spoken.  I know that experientially as do many of us who walk with God.   What a huge comfort it is to know the truth of that statement.  I am always upheld and surrounded by the Lover of my Soul.  If He lets something touch me, I can trust that He is going to protect me, be with me, and bring me through it.

There is a verse found in Psalm 94:19 (NASB) that always comforts me and quiets my mind.  I treasure this verse like a rare jewel that I discovered when mining the Word of God. “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your consolations delight my soul.”  Not “if” my anxious thoughts multiply within me, but “when” my anxious thoughts multiply within me.  The psalmist knew those anxious thoughts would come and not only would they come but they would multiply within him.  He knew that one anxious thought leads to another and another until it would be easy to become overwhelmed with fear.  But what was his praise about those anxious thoughts coming?  That God’s consolations would delight his soul.  He could replace those fears by rehearsing God’s consolations.  He knew that when he was about to go down for the last time, that he could imagine himself wrapped in the all powerful and loving arms of God which would hold him and console him with His consolations of love, comfort, security, joy and peace.  When he did this, the fear was quickly replaced with delight in his soul.

Precious reader, you will never go through anything alone if you have Jesus Christ as your Savior.  When in the Nazi concentration camps, Corrie ten Boom was anxious about things to come. Her sister Betsy saw this and said to her, “Ah, Corrie, there is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still!”  I have often thought of that statement when I felt fear in the pit of my stomach.  What peace there is available to us through God our Father!  And His peace trumps any fear that will ever come your way.  You CAN stand fast knowing the God you serve is always in control.  And “He has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

About Karen King

  • Advertisement

Comments

15 Responses to “When Fear Comes”
  1. Angela Parker says:

    Karen, great as always!!!!!

  2. Great article, Karen!

    I am so grateful that God is always in control.

  3. Barbara S. Porter says:

    I am so proud that my friend, Karen King, wrote such a beautiful article on fear. Through the years she has shown that Christ is indeed her anchor! Her family means much to my family and me.

  4. Beth Greer says:

    Great ariticle on fear Karen. Thanks for including the quote “there is no pit too deep that God is not deeper still.” You are a gifted writer. Look foward to more of these!

  5. Patricia Fisher Gaura says:

    Enjoyed what you had to say. An excellent reminder of how Great is Our God in times we experience fear. What a wonderful comforting shelter He is. Tanks, Karen

  6. Paige Bradshaw says:

    Great tried and true scriptures for fear! Good job

  7. Cathy Bryant says:

    Karen, thanks so much for sharing this. I couldn’t agree more when you mentioned that the antidote for fear is trust in God. In fearful situations, my soul is comforted by the verse that says: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” (Psalm 56:3)

  8. Barbie Eslin says:

    Karen, once again you have hit the nail on the head that our faithful God is able to protect us as we trust in him. Fears assail, but often they are false alarms. I appreciate your articles very much. You always are led by the Spirit as you impart His lessons to us, your readers. Thanks so much!

  9. Judy Clark says:

    Karen, What a great reminder for the times we are going through right now as a nation. My mind has been consumed with all the troubling things going on in Washington. It is nice to be reminded of these scriptures to help us through all this. God is in control. Thanks.

  10. Karen, your article, as always, is wonderful. You have helped me through dark times.

    I love you.

    Libby

  11. Jan Butler says:

    “He is not limited by time, He is already in your future conquering those things that frighten you.” That is such a wonderful thing to know when you really have gotten to the point of believing that, too! Thank you for this reminder.

  12. John Mingay says:

    Karen,

    Great article!! I use to( and still do) experience fear, but since I have put my faith and trust in the Lord that fear does not overwhelm me. I have a “peace” that surpasses all understanding!

  13. Norma Vera says:

    Greta article Karen! I really enjoyed it. It is one of your best!

  14. Paul St.John says:

    Fear is a natural response. However, God is the one who is in charge of the natural. We may logically fear what may come. God is the God who created logic, thus He has already made a plan for us.

    How many times do we find God telling us in His Word “Fear Not”? How many times do we find God’s messengers appearing to humankind with the words, “Fear Not”? Jesus, Himself, told us over and over to “Fear Not.” Sadly, that’s not unlike telling a child confronted by a plate of cookies “don’t touch.” We know that child is going to touch, just as God knows we are going to fear.

    And yet, He walks with us through our fear as a loving parent. And the Peace of God which surpasses all understanding is His gift to us. If he can calm the stormy seas, He can calm our stormy lives.

    Great article!! Well voiced and wonderfully thought provoking!

  15. Diane Connell says:

    Hi Karen,
    Great timing for this article. I am somewhat overwhelmed right now and this is a great article. I will go back and read it several times. Thanks for sharing.

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!


Prove You\'re Human: *