Moving Through FearSmakprov

My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone

Sometimes we feel as though we cannot experience our negative feelings, like fear, in the presence of God. We may believe that we need to clean up before we approach God. But, oh, the freedom and love you can experience once you let yourself be exactly as you are in the presence of an all-knowing, all-present, generous, and loving God. If God is your fortress, then certainly he is with you as you make your way through your trying circumstances. Our deep desire here is to give you a vision for not letting fear be the boss of you. There is a way forward, and it is in the strong, loving presence of God. As we have taken risks in being exactly who we are in God’s presence, which means bringing our fears along with us, we have found a loving and safe Father who sees and holds us even at our worst. 

Another very practical way to work through fear is to remember that you have made it through every single moment and event in your life thus far. And you are still here. Every time we have spent days, weeks, or months worrying in anxiety or fear about some upcoming opportunity, we actually made it through. And most of those situations we have already forgotten. Whether it went well or not, it occurred, and we lived to tell about it (or forget about it). So why should we continue to waste any more time being afraid of things? When you find yourself standing at the precipice of a fearful experience, you can say to yourself, out loud, “I have made it through everything I have ever done in my life, even the worst of it. God was with me then, and he will be with me now.” 

A great prayer that springs from Psalm 62 is this: My soul finds rest in God alone. The next time you find yourself fearful, try saying this prayer out loud. My soul finds rest in God alone. 

Lord, in your presence I take a deep breath. I believe that I will find rest in you alone, and that you will allay my fears and anxieties. Grant me your peace.