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12-23-2007, 12:37 PM
Set Free from Fear
by
Lou Lotz
+ + +
I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my
fears. (v. 4)
+ + +
What are you afraid of? Some fears are vague and imprecise. You sense
that you are afraid, but you're not really sure of what.
Other fears are chillingly specific. Fear of cancer. Fear of snakes.
Fear of small, confined spaces. Fear of flying.
In some ways, fear is a good thing. Fear stimulates us to take
sensible defensive measures when we perceive a threat. Fear can be a
spiritual wake-up call that alerts us to our sin and steers us back
onto the right road. In some cases, fear can be a helpful, healthy
emotion.
But most of our fears are unhealthy. Fear makes us anxious, worried.
It saps our strength and robs us of the joy of living. If only we
could learn to live unafraid!
We can. God can deliver us from our fears. When a small child awakes,
crying, from a bad dream, a loving parent rushes into the room and
comforts the child. Gradually, the child's fears melt away because
the parent is there. That's what we need, too, when we are afraid --
our Father's presence. The more we seek God's presence, and believe
God's promises, the more we are able to say, with the psalmist, "The
Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" (27:1)
Banish my fears, O God.
by
Lou Lotz
+ + +
I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my
fears. (v. 4)
+ + +
What are you afraid of? Some fears are vague and imprecise. You sense
that you are afraid, but you're not really sure of what.
Other fears are chillingly specific. Fear of cancer. Fear of snakes.
Fear of small, confined spaces. Fear of flying.
In some ways, fear is a good thing. Fear stimulates us to take
sensible defensive measures when we perceive a threat. Fear can be a
spiritual wake-up call that alerts us to our sin and steers us back
onto the right road. In some cases, fear can be a helpful, healthy
emotion.
But most of our fears are unhealthy. Fear makes us anxious, worried.
It saps our strength and robs us of the joy of living. If only we
could learn to live unafraid!
We can. God can deliver us from our fears. When a small child awakes,
crying, from a bad dream, a loving parent rushes into the room and
comforts the child. Gradually, the child's fears melt away because
the parent is there. That's what we need, too, when we are afraid --
our Father's presence. The more we seek God's presence, and believe
God's promises, the more we are able to say, with the psalmist, "The
Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" (27:1)
Banish my fears, O God.