Wisdom Wednesdays - The "F" Word

I hate the "F" word. That four letter word that starts with "F".  I'm talking about FEAR, Gail-Friends.  That little word used to give me a lot of trouble, especially about my children, but praise be to ADONAI, I have learned how to deal with it.  We all go through hard times in this life.  There are times of troubles and sickness, when fearful thoughts will attack us.  How do we handle it?

First of all, fear is a spirit.  A demon from hell that whispers lies into your mind.  Most of the time, it says, "What if..." and you can fill in the blank.  Your mind begins to paint pictures of the things that could happen.  That spirit is not from G-d, as you can read from the Scripture:

"For G-d has not given us the spirit of fear; 

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

(II Timothy 1:7)

He has given us power, love and a sound mind.  Oh, Haleluyah!  When fearful thoughts come, and they will come, we rise up in power and resist them:

"Submit yourselves therefore to G-d.  

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

James 4:7 

We submit ourselves to G-d by agreeing with what His Word says.  We resist the devil by speaking that Word out loud.  That's what Yeshua did when He was being tempted in the wilderness.  Over and over He said, "It is written..." and quoted a Scripture that countered the devil's lies.   (see Matthew 4)

When troubles come, and they will come, we have a choice.  We can tremble in fear, imagining the worst, or we can turn to Him for the right thoughts.  He has promised us His power His love, and a sound mind, which means the ability to think correctly.

The more we read and obey His Word, the more clearly we will be able to think.  Just as we have to have food and water daily, we need the Bread of Life and the Living Water to survive our journey through this world.  Without that daily sustenance, we quickly become hungry, thirsty, and weak.  Only the sweet delicacies of His Word can refresh us.

My favorite go-to Scriptures for the hard times are Psalm 23 and 27.

I read Psalm 23 and remind myself that the Good Shepherd is leading me.  He loves me and He goes before me.  He allowed this hard thing to come into my life.  I grasp His hand and keep walking.  I remind myself of verse 4:

"Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil: 

for You are with me; 

You rod and Your staff they comfort me."

Oh, how those words comfort me, reminding me of His tender, merciful love and care.  I feel His sweet presence with me.  Oh, how blessed I am to have this tender, Good Shepherd!!

Then I read Psalm 27.  This passage always encourages me.  Gail-Friends, I have been through some awful, hard things in my life.  During the worst one, G-d led me to this Scripture, and I clung to it like a drowning woman.  It carried me through an ordeal that caused the greatest fear I've ever known.  I survived because of His mighty strength!  I came through it with the knowledge that my Good Shepherd would walk me to the other side of every dark valley.  

That dark time was a touchstone.  When fear attacks me, I go back in my mind to touch that stone.  That stone reminds me to cling to the Good Shepherd's hand, knowing I can get through anything.  I quote this verse and am filled with His courage:

"Wait on the L-rd:

be of good courage, 

and He shall strengthen your heart: 

wait, I say, on the L-rd."

(Psalm 27: 14)

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