Freedom From Fear

I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:4

As a child, I learned many wonderful things in our home: obedience, how to read, how to love the Bible and church, how to get along with others, and a strong work ethic. But I also learned and internalized a lot of fear. Besides the fact that traumatic events in childhood (of which I experienced several) predispose a person to anxiety, I also had a precious mom who was afraid of storms, flying in an airplane, and many other things. Mom was so protective that she never took us to the zoo, afraid one of us might get away from her and be eaten by one of the animals.

After my father died, I kept busy studying and working hard in school, but inside I became more fearful. By the time I was a young mother, I was consumed by fears of losing someone I loved, of death, of whether God cared.

I’m not alone. Surveys show that the number one problem people experience today is fear and anxiety—resulting in stress, faulty thinking, sapped strength, and depleted energy. Fear also limits our potential, robs us of faith and joy, and sets us up for failure. That’s why all through the Bible God says, “Fear not.”

I’m thankful that as I began to read verses in Psalm 34 and got to know God better, I discovered that the Lord could actually free me of my fears—and amazingly, he did! You don’t have to hold on to your fears, either. You can trade your worry for wonder and trust in the one who delights to deliver us from fear, fills us with faith, and helps us live life as a great adventure.

Lord Jesus, here are the things I’m anxious or fearful about: _______________. I lay these burdens and worries before you and ask you to exchange my fear for faith.

God incarnate is the end of fear; and the heart that realizes that He is in the midst . . . will be quiet in the midst of alarm.

F. B. Meyer(1847–1929), English pastor and evangelist