What to do when afraid

Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT)

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.  I praise God for what he has promised.  I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  What can mere mortals do to me?

Fear is a major and common emotion of human beings.  Pages can be filled with normal human fears like death, aging, public speaking, heights, snakes, darkness, and so on.  There are also many abnormal fears or phobias with each person likely having one or more of these, such as the fear of certain common animals like birds, elevators, bathing, certain colors, clouds, fog, the moon, hearing sermons (yes, this is homilophobia) and the list goes on and on.  In fact, you can check websites like this one (http://www.blifaloo.com/info/phobias.php) and find an unbelievable list of phobias humans face. 

The Psalmist says in these two verses that when he is afraid, he puts his trust in the Lord.  When he does this, he no longer is afraid.  Why?  Just the mere realization that God is Almighty and the authority over all creation is enough to stop being afraid.  In Psalm 56:9 the Psalmist simply says that he knows that God is for him.  In Romans 8:31, Paul writes that “if God is for us, who is against us?”  The key to removing your fear is to believe, truly believe, that God is for those who love Him.  Yes, your faith and devotion are required to claim His love and protection.  If you truly believe the promises of Scripture, you know that God is with you and for you, even if you don not “feel” His presence. 

To lose your fear(s) means that you

·  praise the Word of God that indicates your belief in it and your desire to obey it.

·  actively trust in God as taught in Proverbs 3:5-6 (“trust in the Lord with all your heart……”).

·  realize that other humans can do nothing to shake your faith in God, they can do nothing.

Like any other circumstance that requires strong faith, it will not happen instantaneously.  Faith in God to remove your fears will not happen the first time you give over your fears to Him.  So don’t be troubled the first time you pray for Him to remove your fears and you find that you still have them.  It takes time for faith to grow.  Keep praying, keep taking small steps forward, and keep trusting that the Lord is in control.