Fear And Anxiety

FEAR and ANXIETY are tormenting and crippling emotions that can plague the soul to its core. In Isaiah 41:10-16, God assures us of hope:

If we feel ALONE or ABANDONED – God promises us His presence:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee (vs. 10)

Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: (vs. 10)

If we feel WEAK or HELPLESS – God promises us His strength:

“I will strengthen thee.“ (vs. 10)

“I will uphold thee.“ (vs. 13)

“I will help thee.“ (vs. 10, 13, 14)

If we feel VULNERABLE – God promises you His protection:

Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. (vs. 11, 12)

If we feel ILL-EQUIPPED – God promises to make you into His powerful instrument:

Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice (vs. 15, 16a)

If we receive His promises, instead of being hobbled by fear and anxiety, we will:

“Rejoice in the Lord“ and (vs. 16)

“Glory in the Holy One“ (vs. 16)

There is a danger in seeking relief from FEAR and ANXIETY however. The reason is because we have a tendency to seek the peace itself, rather than the Lord Jesus, the source of peace:

For he is our peace, (Ephesians 2:14a)

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

If we seek Him, wait upon Him, cast our burdens upon Him, we will see that inexplicably, our fear and anxiety will dissipate. We will then find ourselves alone with the Savior, the Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

Blessings

Pastor Woody