Fear or Fear Not
Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
Isaiah 35:4
Most of us tend to think too highly of ourselves. Our love for having the right answers, solving our own problems, and feeling in control of every aspect of our lives demonstrates our inclination to think we possess personal sovereignty. Consequently, we spend a lot of time worrying.
A businessman once constructed a “Worry Chart” to keep a record of his fears. He discovered that 40 percent of his worries involved things that probably wouldn’t happen, 30 percent involved past decisions that he couldn’t unmake, 12 percent regarded other people’s criticisms, and 10 percent involved his health. He concluded that only 8 percent of his worries were really legitimate (if there is such a thing)—that is, things he could actually do something about.
So how do we overcome our fears? How do we rid ourselves of worry and anxiety, most of which is unfounded anyway. The Bible says that perfect love cast out all fear. So maybe we should focus on God’s love, not on our fear.
“Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength.” - Charles Spurgeon (1834 -1892)
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Taken from The Life Recovery Devotional: Thirty Meditations from Scripture for Each Step in Recovery by Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop. Copyright © 1991 by Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
