Hear these helpful words again:
“Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” 2Chron 20:3 ESV
It is easy to say do not fear, but the Bible is not telling us we will never sense fear. God is encouraging us that, when we FEEL fear, we can choose to not remain IN fear. Simply go to God and He will give you reassurance and rest. Hallelujah. And while this is true, the practice of it can be tough. Thus Sanctification, my Friends! This is where we lean on the Holy Spirit to help us practice not allowing fear to control us. Again think reacting versus responding here. When fear comes, because it will…let me pause a moment here. Remember fear is not the problem. It can be a healthy part of life. When we see a blazing fire, we should fear it or we will run right into it head first and harm ourselves! Yet when fear comes, we can either choose to react (that’s a death choice) or respond (that’s a life choice).
If we react, we will make further choices that can cause us further problems. But if we choose to respond, like this king here, we can remain peaceful and be clear minded so we can make the right choices that will either elevate the fear, or help us do whatever we must in the midst of the fear. When we choose to run to God with the fear, we begin to see it through His eyes, then we can invite peace into our hearts and remain calm in the storm.
I know this story I’m about to share is not an example of a dangerous event, but I hope it makes a point. When I began speaking in front of crowds, I was terrified! Public speaking continues to be one of the top 10 phobias for people and I certainly was a victim of it too. I clearly remember the day that all changed. I was about to give a talk when I turned to the other, much more experienced speaker and asked her, “Do you get nervous before you talk?” She said such a wise thing to me that turned my perspective around and changed my issues with speaking publicly. I will share it with you tomorrow…
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
February: 5- Jn 10:10; 6- Ro 6:23; 7- Rev 21:4; 8- Php 4:13
9- 1Pe 5:7
10- Jn 8:32
11- Dt 30:19
12- Jn 3:30
13- 2Chron 20:3
<>< Peace, Diane
