Don’t be afraid for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.  Isaiah 41:10

     With all the negatives we hear about fear (including the Bible which repeatedly tells us not to fear), we also know that there is a good kind of fear: we are to fear God. And we should fear evil. Part of wisdom is learning what to fear. Even though for most of us, fear stalks and strangles our hearts, there are lessons to be learned from handling fears with God’s help:

*We learn important life lessons when we walk through our fear, trusting God.

*It can be a place where we meet God.

*What you gain is a kind of wisdom you can’t get any other way.

*It can unlock the creativity and passion in our hearts, if we are willing to walk into it.   

*The strength that comes from wrestling with our fear will give us wings to fly.

-Contending with our fears shapes the story of our lives—literally it gives us a story to tell.

     “The case can be made that you don’t really get to know God except by wading into your fear and discovering Him there. Sometimes that feels like the adventure it is; other times, we are led there kicking and screaming. But God leads in that direction because it is the place of encounter with Him.” (Paula Rinehart, “Strong Women, Soft Hearts”)

*If “you don’t really get to know God except by wading into your fear and discovering Him there,” how do you do that? What first step will you take?

Dear Jesus, as I think about fear, I realize that my greatest fear right now is:____________________. Lord, I can’t do anything about this, but I have an opportunity to trust You in this place, knowing that it will build my faith, if I will not resist You. I will claim today’s verse and repeat it as needed. You are with me and will uphold me. I will not run from my fear, deny my fear, or despair over my fear. I will trust You. Set me free in this bondage place. In Your name, Amen. 


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