What Do You Do with Fear?

Meditation: As you read the following familiar words, imagine yourself on the Sea
of Galilee. It is still dark. Hear the wind and the thunder; see the lightening and
the increasing waves; smell the storm, feel the spray on your face. Battle the
head wind and rough sea with the others. Be part of this story in your mind.

“Between three and six in the morning He came to them, walking over the lake.
When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake they were so shaken they cried
out in terror: ‘It is a ghost!’ But at once He spoke to them:
‘Take heart! It is I; do not be afraid.’

Peter called to Him: ‘Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you over the water.’
‘Come’, said Jesus. Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked over the
water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the gale he was seized
with fear; and beginning to sink, he cried, ‘Save me, Lord’.

Jesus at once reached out and caught hold of him, and said, ‘Why did you
hesitate? How little faith you have!’ They then climbed into the boat and
the wind dropped. And the men in the boat fell at his feet exclaiming,
“Truly you are the Son of God.'” Matthew 14:25-33 (NEB)

THOUGHT:
In the Bible the words, “Don’t be afraid” are a recurring theme. Someone has
said they occur 365 times. What do these words mean to you?

What are you no longer certain about? What have you found that you can
count on for sure?

List texts or personal experiences that give you courage. Isaiah 43:1-5
and 2 Corinthians 4:8,9, 16-18 are good starters.

EXPERIENCE:
When FEAR comes to you in the middle of the night (or in the day) what
practical things do you do to help you move toward FAITH?

GOD’S ANSWER TO FEAR

MEDITATION: God’s answer to fear may surprise you. As you ponder the
following passages, ask God to give you new ears to hear and new eyes to see
what these words mean for you.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as
an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also
ought to love one another. God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.

“We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in
love lives in God, and God in him (her). In this way, love is made complete
among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because
in this world we are like Him.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do
with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. . . We love
because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:10-12, 16-20. (NIV)

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a
sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (Phillips)

THOUGHT: How do you understand that it is love, not just faith or trust or
truth that “drives out fear”? Whose love is it?

Often in the Bible we are commanded to “fear (reverence, respect) God.”
What does that mean to you?

“Which of you fears the Lord and obeys his servant’s commands? The one
who walks in dark places with no light, yet trusts in the name of the Lord
and leans on his (her) God.
“But you who kindle a fire set fire-brands alight, go, walk in your own fire
and among the firebrands you have set ablaze. This is your fate at my
hands: You shall lie down in torment.” Isaiah 50:10,11

EXPERIENCE: This week ask God to help you experience how “fearing
God” while you walk in a dark place fits with love that “casts out fear”.
Try to sense “power, love and a sound mind” as part of your walk. Are
there times when you light your own fire to try to cope with the darkness?