Fear...

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice." Psalm 34:1, 2

"I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

Have you ever noticed how afraid we are to confess our fears? For some reason, we are all too eager to boast our confidences but when it comes to our fears we hold them inside. It's as if we're scared that by voicing our fears they are going to get bigger - or come true - but the exact opposite is true. When we confess our fears, and bring them out into the light, they lose their power.

That's what happened to me today. I was fearful. The "of what" doesn't matter. I was listening to the same old lies that have haunted me before. I know that the LORD says to trust Him and I wanted to. I tried to - but some of those old lies run deep. You think they're gone and you're skipping along pretty well, then all of the sudden - WHAMMO! I asked the LORD for help. I brought my prayers and petitions before Him. The problem is that I didn't lay them down there. Instead, I shook them in His face and hollered "fix it"!

Oh, what a gracious God we have. All day long, He reminded me of verses... do not fret... trust in the LORD and do good...delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart...Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him... (Psalm 37) When I finally reached the end of my own ideas, He sent help. I am so blessed to have a faithful friend that I can confess my fears and shortcomings to. Sometimes the LORD uses the ears of a friend as His own. Just listening to myself confess my fears aloud made me begin to realize how off-base they were. When I was reminded of the Truth of God's Word, the fears quickly began to dissipate. Now they are gone! You see the enemy wants us isolated. He tries his best to convince us that no one would understand or that we should be able to cope alone. PRIDE.

Thank You, LORD, for the Truth of Your Word. Thank You that I can know the Truth and the Truth sets me free. (John 8:32) You, O LORD, are The Way, the Truth and Life to the full! Thank You for setting me free!