Fear

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will give you strength, I will bring you help, I will uphold you with the right hand of my justice." - Isaiah 41:10

When I was little I was afraid of bugs, the dark, and ghosts, although I'm not entirely over that one yet. Then I got older and my fears became about very real things. I'm scared of failure, of getting my heart broken, of rejection, of being made to look like a fool, of being alone, and especially death, either my own or that of a loved one. I feel fear before I close my eyes the night before I start something new and up until I see it has all worked out well.

As human beings, we are all full of fears, some we share with others, and some we can't even admit to ourselves. Each stage in life has new fears to encounter, but throughout it all, one thing remains, the power of our God who stands beside us triumphantly. Do you know that God tells us not to be afraid over 365 times in the bible? That's one for everyday of the year! If He says it that often, then we should be listening. Yes, I get scared but I don't let it take over. The fears want to creep in, but I remember my "do not be afraid" for the day and move on in the name of the Lord! As St. Paul says, if God be for us, then who could be against us? If God is with us, what can harm us? If God tells us He is with us, then we definitely are not alone and abandoned. And if the Lord is our God, then nothing can ever happen to us that is not for our good!

Today's Prayer:
Father, I place myself in Your hands as Your child. You know me inside and out, especially all of my fears. Strengthen me from within and build me up strong in Your Spirit so that no harm can come near me or break down my walls. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.