Fighting Fear

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Posted by: Megan Sweitzer | Monday, June 24th, 2024 (12:00am)

Isaiah 12:2 NIV: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

Do not be afraid. Seems easier said than done most of the time.

When I was a little kid, I was afraid of the dark, spiders, snakes, and big thunderstorms. It seems almost silly now, but at the time those things felt scary and overwhelming. If a storm rolled through during the night, I remember running to my mom for comfort and safety. If I saw a snake, I would clutch my dad’s hand as hard as I could, knowing he would protect me, even if it was just a harmless garter snake.

Now that I am an adult, I don’t have those same fears, but am faced with new and different ones every day. I join the multitudes in saying that I often ask myself, “Is my husband going to be safe on his drive to work? Is my home going to be okay while I’m away?” And I am sure all the parents out there are asking “Am I raising my kids in the right way? What if I’m not doing a good job?”

All of these fears and doubts may be legitimate feelings and thoughts, but do we let them consume and overtake all our waking thoughts? What if there was a better way?

Isaiah 12 demonstrates this beautifully as a song of praise. The writer has experienced the fullness of the Lord’s character: His anger, comfort, joy, and holiness. In the midst of all this, the psalmist is able to praise the Lord. He puts his trust in the Lord and declares he will not be afraid, but will stand solid in the faith.

Look at the disciples. While they were in the middle of the sea on their boat, a storm began brewing. As the skies turned gloomy and the waves became rough, the disciples grew increasingly afraid. Jesus spoke up, called the winds to cease and his disciples to look to Him, to not be afraid and to find peace in Him.

Isaiah, alongside many of Jesus’ teachings in the gospels, are tapping into something that I think will help us as we face our fears. The Lord calls us up. He calls us to look to Him as our strength, defense, and joy. The Bible encourages us to trust and praise the Lord no matter what. And Isaiah declares that fear has no hold on him just as Jesus declared peace over the wind, waves and his disciples, amid their fear. So, what does this look like for us?

I know in my life, when I am faced with fear, whether big or small, every time I take a moment to turn to the Lord whether through prayer, worship, or by reading Scripture, there is something calming and peaceful about these practices.  As I take the time to surrender all my fear to Him through these practices and trust Him with every detail of my life, fear slowly loses its grip.

Many of our WCSG artists and their songs echo this sentiment as well.

Zach Williams - “Fear is a Liar”

Chris Tomlin - "Whom Shall I Fear"

Bethel Music - "No Longer Slaves"

Tasha Layton and Chris Brown - "Worship Through It"

Josh Baldwin - "Stand In Your Love"

Next time you are feeling afraid, worship and praise through it. Take a moment to pray and meditate on the Word of God or sing and dance to one of these songs as you declare the praise of the Lord! Find comfort in knowing that the Lord can handle your fear. Just as my parents provided safety, comfort and peace in the midst of my childhood fears, the Father Almighty can speak into you, hold you in his hand, and is near to you wherever you are.

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