‘The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.’ 2 Timothy 4:16-18(NLT)
‘Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.’ Psalms 23:4(NLT)
‘So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”’ Hebrews 13:6(NLT)
‘Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. ‘ 1 John 4:18(NLT)
1 John 4:18
Fear causes anxiety, dread, alarm, fright, panic, and terror. It causes all kinds of unpleasant emotions, phobias, neuroses, and even the more serious psychotic disorders. The torment of fear is one of the worst problems we humans face. God’s Word teaches that being a slave to fear indicates that we have not been made perfect in love. We are not fully grasping (perfecting) God’s love and care of God for us. As a result, we are not loving other people like we should; we are not growing more and more in love.
In addition, being gripped by fear indicates when we are inward-focused. Our eyes are on ourselves, not on God and others like they should be.
In summary, we can only be set free from fear by the perfect love of God. The more we know of God’s love and care and the more we love other people, the more fear is conquered in our lives. The reason is clearly seen in the promises of God. God loves us so much that He will take care of us through all the trials and temptations of life, no matter what they are.
Study Questions:
- Are you grasping the love and care God has for you?
- What does it look like for you to love other people?
- Do you believe that if you loved other people more and more, that your fears could be conquered?
- Take time to pray for the Lord’s love to flow out of you; that you would grow more and more in love. Pray for the strength to love even the most unlovable of people.
from Finding Freedom From Fear