“Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you.
Yes, I will uphold you with the
right hand of my righteousness.”
Isaiah 41:10 (WEB)
“Don’t you be afraid!” That’s how this verse starts. And, while it is in the Bible, it’s also the opening scripture for Chapter Thirteen in our T.R.U.S.T. Devotional—which is a chapter that’s all about fear.
In this chapter, Sheranna tells one story from her life about struggling with panic attacks. Even though a lot of people don’t know this fact about her, she says her husband and children could tell a whole lot of really funny stories of things she has done when under the influence of controlling fear. Indeed, she did struggle with debilitating panic attacks for many years. Some were extremely severe, to the point where she once tried to jump out of a moving car in a snowstorm. That’s the story she shares in this chapter of T.R.U.S.T. To Really Untie Strings Totally.
“For God hath not given us
the spirit of fear; but
of power, and
of love, and
of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
Like this verse has done for so many people over the centuries, it became one of her favorites and really got her through. Many times, she repeated this scripture to herself. It’s truth ultimately began to strengthen her to take back control of her mind, as God intended his daughter to have it.
In sharing the story, Sheranna makes the following powerful statement that describes just how fear can really overcome a person. This is a true statement!
“I had given into an emotion
that had stolen all my strength
and put me into a mental state
of complete dismay!”
Complete dismay! Sheranna says, she lived in a state of complete dismay when overcome by a panic attack.
We feel like, right now, with the threat of the Coronavirus, as we are living in a time where people are not even supposed to touch their own face, that there is a spirit of fear that is consuming people. And, while this may be what the media wants in order to keep our attention on the things they are saying, we need to be asking ourselves some questions about our reactions. Don’t you think?
In every chapter of our T.R.U.S.T. and H.O.P.E. devotionals we have discussion questions. When we designed these questions, they were done with prayer. We wanted them to guide you in your thoughts and on your journey so that you could go deeper in your own reflection. One of the questions at the end of this chapter is:
“Do you struggle with fear in any area of your life?
Describe what triggers this fear?”
While this is just one of the sets of three questions, we want to ask you this right now. Do you struggle with fear in any area of your life? And, what triggers that fear?
Is your story similar to Sheranna’s, where fear was put into her because of abuse that occurred in her childhood? Or, have you watched somebody be sick and you don’t want to be? What is it that triggers this emotion in your life? No matter what the cause, it is still a spirit of fear.
Also, no matter what it’s cause, the bottom line is, faith in a loving God IS the answer! Remember, He did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind!
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