Fear is a Liar!
- Rita Larson
- Mar 26, 2023
- 3 min read
I once read somewhere that the spirit of fear is an unwelcome guest that always brings the spirit of anxiety along, walking hand in hand. This stuck with me because it is so true. When things happen in life, whether it be matters of the heart, such as family and relationship issues, health concerns, stressors at work, financial woes, or whatever the case may be, the devil is an opportunist and uses these challenges to distract us and take our focus from God. We can become fearful of the unknown and anxious about what the future may hold. I love this song by Zach Williams, Fear Is a Liar! https://youtu.be/1srs1YoTVzs
In the book of Matthew, chapter 14, Jesus had just finished praying in the
mountains when the disciples saw Him walking on the water and were understandably afraid, thinking it was a spirit. Jesus, however, was not surprised by their fear and responded to them with understanding and compassion. He reassured them, saying “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” (Matthew 14:27 KJV). Peter even asked Jesus if he could come and walk on the water towards Him. Jesus granted his request, but when the winds became stronger, Peter began to sink. “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Matthew 14:31).
This is a beautiful reminder of the importance of having faith over fear. Jesus did not want His disciples to be led by fear, but rather to have complete faith in Him, regardless of their circumstances. Jesus wants the same for us today. Jesus was showing us that even amid difficulty and uncertainty, faith in Him is what will carry us through.
In Hebrews 13:5, we are encouraged to “let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” There is nothing to fear, as God is always going to be by our side. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of our Father. Romans 8:38 assures us that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Fear is one of the vices the devil uses against us to manipulate us and get our focus off doing the will of the Father. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is a liar. God did not give us the spirit of fear or anxiety. However, He did know that we were going to have challenges and that thoughts of doubt and fear may try to creep in. He did give us all of the tools that we need to fight fear, and that is power, love and a sound mind! When we face challenges in life, God has given us everything we need to overcome the giants that we are facing.
We need to stand on God's promises and trust in the Lord knowing He will guide us through life’s toughest moments. No matter what we may face, we can find courage and strength in the knowledge that Jesus is always with us and that He will never leave us alone. He is always there with an outstretched hand ready to save us. We just need to reach out and take His hand. We can take comfort in His protective embrace and have faith that He is there by our side, just take His outstretched hand! ©Rita Larson 3/26/2023
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