Upcoming on my "The Bad, & The Ugly: Fears & Failures" Devotional Blog Series:
** Fear is a gateway to self-doubt **
- Jesus Calms Our Fears
- Jonah and The Whale
- What Can We Learn From Jonah
- Light Conquers Darkness
Jesus Calms Our Fears
Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s You,” Peter answered Him, “command me to come to You on the water.” “Come! ” He said.
Matthew 14:27-29
Devotional
“Do not be afraid” appears in the Bible 365 times. Each and every day Jesus is reminding us that with Him, we do not have to be afraid of this life. With Him, we can be courageous (Deut. 31:6) and face our fears head-on without a doubt (Matt. 14:31).
He believed in Peter even when Peter lost his belief in Jesus’ guidance for a split second during the raging storm. Jesus does that for us every single day. Even when we doubt and lose hope, He is still beside us. He is ready to help us face anything that comes our way. He wants to calm our fears as if He is calming the crashing waves.
Isaiah 41:10 says, 'Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. '
Our God will strengthen us, help us, and hold on to us. How comforting is that reassurance? I think it is the most reassuring thing we can hold on to in this life because He is solid. What do I mean by that? We see because we have faith. We feel Him near because we have faith. Our faith is solid because we stand with Christ. I believe that if there is only one person you can count on in this life, Jesus takes the cake. He's there through everything. He is always comforting us no matter the situation.
Isaiah 43:1-2 really speaks to me because the message shows exactly how much God loves us. With Him, we have a protected shield around us. He keeps us from harm because He loves us that much. We are His children. As long as we have God this world can’t harm us. We have the protection of the Highest King.
Fear has nothing on our God.
My Story Tie- In
I know my God is bigger than any earthly fear I face in this life, but I still find myself struggling to break free. I feel chained and afraid. I sometimes feel alone even when I know God is reaching out to me. Like I said in the previous devotional, my biggest fear is driving in the rain due to my car wreck when I was 18.
I am 24 and this fear still haunts me daily. I struggle with if I can actually make it from point A to B without panicking. Then, I remember how Jesus calmed the troubling waters under Peter’s feet. “Don’t be afraid,” a statement said 365 times in the Bible and here I am being scared of water just like Peter was. The beauty of this phrase is that Jesus still calms my fears and doubts every time they arise in me. I know that He is always beside me!
Activity:
List your fears again.
Pick a fear to start working on, what is it?
Write down how you want to work through it.
My Answers:
Driving in the rain, pushing people away, and letting my overthinking/anxiety overtake me.
Driving in the rain.
This fear has been almost constant in my life for the last 6 years. I get better for a little stretch, and then fear sets back in. I want to work on thinking positive again so I can be certain I am going somewhere. So I don't have to explain why I want to be there, but can't. I want to confidently say, "Yes, I'll see you there." And not, "I'm not sure yet."
Follow-up Check:
Pray about it.
Come back to this devotional in a week and document your progress.
How has God moved?
How do you feel after facing your fear?
My Prayer
Dear Lord,
Take these fears away and shower us with strength and courage that only you can give. Remind us that your hand is in everything and that we are never alone. You will never let us fight our battles alone. Thank you for always being there for us. I pray for the person reading this, give them the strength to fight whatever they are going through. God, you know it all. I love you.
Amen.
“I Will Fear No More” by The Afters
You're my courage when I worry in the dead of night, You're my strength 'cause I'm not strong enough to win this fight, You are greater than the battle raging in my mind
I will trust You, Lord, I will fear no more
Listen to the Fears & Failures Playlist: Here.
Scriptures: Matthew 14:27-29; Deut. 31:6; Isaiah 41:10, 43:1-2.