Isaiah 41:10New King James Version (NKJV)

Fear is that thief that comes in the night.  It comes to rob us of our peace and to unravel our trust in the promises of God.

This is a battle that raged in my mind not so long ago.

Everything seemed to be going so right!  Everything that we had been praying for (for so long), seemed to be unfolding in a beautiful and magnificent array of blessing and splendor.

Gods favor was tangible.  His presence fluid – it felt as if it was all around.

And then man stepped in and in an instant, crushed my hope and trampled all over my trust.

I KNEW that it was not truth.  I knew that Gods promises were true and that I did not have to entertain this doubt and this uncertainty.  I knew in my heart that there was nothing to worry about.  God’s word would remain and his promise would be true.

The Lord reassured me of just that when I cried out to him in prayer, and yet that niggle would not go away.

It was like a little tickle in the back of my brain.  Like long wispy tentacles, reaching out and depositing little suggestions that would make me question the truth.

As much as I told myself that I do not have anything to worry about, my mind just kept wanting to go there, and worry.  My emotions were tantalized by the mystery of the lie.  They enticed me into dancing with the lie.  Into going round and round and round, and examining it from every possible angle.

For a time, I actually let my anguish consume me.

Rather than resting in the arms of the Almighty and trusting that his promises are good, that His words are true, that he is for us and not against us.

Rather than that, I allowed myself to be enveloped by FEAR.   I felt afraid – not only that our dreams would not be realized but that maybe I couldn’t really trust the living God.  That maybe I had just imagined my whole relationship with the Lord and ‘dreamed up’ all the words and promises that He had given me.

It is inconceivable to think that these few words that were spoken,  could have thrust me into a place where I was teetering on the edge of doubt and disbelieve in the very God for whom I live. But that is the power of emotion.  And the darkness of Fear.

But I did not surrender it.  I stood up and looked it in the face with the confidence that comes from Christ.

And that is when it came to me.

The opposite of fear is confidence.

Not in ourselves.  Confidence in God, who knit us together in our mother’s womb and who knows us inside and out.

I love that!

This, is the truth that the Lord poured out on me, while I was wrestling with my emotions.

“Your confidence needs to be in me. Do not be afraid.  In all things, trust in me.  Trust in my goodness, in my power, in my provision and in my blessing.”

Trust in me and you will overcome fear.

Speak out your confidence in me.

Speak to your fear and tell it to be gone.

I am your defender and protector.

I am your God.

In me you must place your trust.

John 4:18New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁸ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.