God’s Word Crushes Fear!

“Is not my word like fire?”declares the Lord,”and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

We can experience the word of God being that powerful in our fight against fear! I was a “helicopter Mom” when my kids were young. I had no idea it was fear which drove me to be so careful…care which morphed into control! I had been experiencing different nudges about specifically giving my children to God, but I ignored the thoughts. Anyway, I knew they were God’s!

One day, I read in the newspaper about a lady who was in a dime store with her young child (maybe 2?) The little girl was standing right next to her mother when a man dashed up, grabbed the child, and ran off with her! This horrible story devastated me! I began thinking, “I cannot be with my grammar school kids every moment! And even if I were with them, I would be helpless in a similar situation.” So, one morning, I got before the Lord and explicitly gave each of my three children to Him. I was afraid to do it! When I think back now, I wonder why I was so frightened? I am sure that it was because I didn’t know the love and kindness of the Lord then, as I do now. Yes, bad things happened to my children in their lives, but I was not “in control.” I could trust God, because I had put my trust in Him (even imperfectly!) I still remember the peace that came over me after that great exchange!

When our “hands” are gripping something or someone, it causes tension and stress. God knows (and doctors know) that stress will cause a breakdown of cells, which can lead to illness in many areas. Fear causes tremendous stress when it rears its ugly head over and over! This is why God desires us to surrender it to Him. He is absolutely trustworthy and powerful! So we relinquish it (or them) to Him and leave it there. I have a vivid picture in my mind of a great big slab of rock, which is an altar right in front of God.

If it is a person, I put them on that altar, tucking up fingers, toes, hair, etc., so that ALL of them is on there. They are totally given to the God of the Universe! And the sweet peace of God will come. But another attack will usually follow. So I put them on the altar again, and once again, the peace comes. In a real crisis, I have done this all morning long! In an incident I am thinking of, the peace was so real that I became convinced that God had this! And I learned God’s faithfulness was right there with me. The crisis wasn’t yet solved, but He was in charge.

God’s word works! It is for our sake that He wants us to obey it.

Many years ago, several times a week I tutored a child who lived with his Grandparents. His sweet Grandmother said they were too old to help him with his homework. This seven-year-old came to them with a lot of fear. I loved this child and he was in my prayers daily. He confided to me one day that he was afraid every night when he went to bed. His Grandparents had talked to him about Jesus, and he wanted to trust Him, but the fear tortured him. I know God led me to write a verse down on a scrap of paper for him…”Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in God.” (Psalm 56:3) Although he memorized it, he kept that scrap of paper under his pillow every night the whole year. The agonizing fear had to leave, and it did. There was such a difference in his life. He excelled in school as well. I was so proud of him!

God is so good! We do not have to be mature or smart to understand how powerful His word is. We only need to trust and believe that He is there for us, and keep applying the word to our problem!

My Bible teacher used to say, “There are 365 fear nots in the Bible…one for every day of the year!”