Draw near to God – Day 11

[Once, one of the readers wrote an e-mail with the words: “In January this year, I was attacked in my house with a garden fork and left for dead. The Lord saved my life, but I am currently overwhelmed by fear that the attacker might come back. I am living like a prisoner in my home because I am too afraid to go out. My wounds are busy healing, but at night, I still wake up at the slightest sound. Please help!”]

Do you also have a paralysing fear in your life? Do you fear for the future of our country, that you or a loved one might be diagnosed with a dreaded disease, that something might happen to your kids, or that your spouse might be unfaithful? Do you fear that you might lose your job and not be able to provide for your family?

Fear is one of the most effective tools the enemy uses to paralyse people. It makes me think about a container with black, hot tar poured over onto a person. Once the sticky tar dries, the person cannot move and eventually perishes. In the same way, fear makes us passive. It robs us of our joy and peace, and causes us to isolate ourselves from others and God. Therefore, it is important that we identify the fear in our lives, in order to conquer it.

Why do we need to identify our fears? In 1 Peter 5:8, we are reminded that the enemy walks around like a roaring lion, looking for ways to attack us. Job is an example of this. Satan wanted to destroy him, but none of Satan’s plans succeeded as God placed a wall of protection around Job, his family and his belongings (Job 1:10).

Job, however, had a weak point: fear that something would happen to his family or belongings. Satan saw it and when he got a chance to test Job’s faith, he hit him where he knew it would hurt the most (Job 3:25).

Instead of pondering about a specific fear in our lives or speaking about it to everyone who will listen, we need to start a renewal of our thoughts and deliberately take it to God. We also need to memorise God’s promises on the matter and speak them out in faith, when fear threatens to overwhelm us. This is the most effective ammunition against the enemy’s attacks.

What does God’s Word say about fearful situations? In Isaiah 54:17 we read: “‘No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,’ declares the LORD.” In Psalm 91 we read: “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day … If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you … For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways …” And if you, like the reader who sent the e-mail, are afraid to sleep at night, read the words in Psalm 3:5: “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” God watches over us when we sleep. He protects us because He never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121).

Fear might not necessarily disappear overnight, but I can guarantee you, if you renew your mind daily and start speaking God’s Word over your fearful situations, you will experience how your faith will start growing and fear will shrink and lose its grip, completely, over time. Let us draw close to God amidst our fear, knowing that He not only sends his angels to protect us, but He also puts up a wall of fire around us, our loved ones and our possessions. God bless.