“How to Deal with Fear”
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Good Evening and Welcome to our Summer Mid-Week Service. My goal for us throughout the Summer as we meet together is two-fold. I first want to take some time and encourage us from God’s Word. And Second of all, I want us to gather together as God’s people and pray.
Tonight we are going to look at a verse in Isaiah chapter 40 that addresses the question of fear. How can I deal with fear? When we take a look through history there of course have been many discouraging times when people have dealt with fear. There have been times of war and persecution and terrible events or pandemics.
In 2020 and 2021 many people told me that they dealt with bouts of fear or struggled with fear. There were some studies done between these two years on what people feared the most. Here are the top 5.
-People we love dying.
-Getting the Corona Virus.
-Civil Unrest.
-Financial Collapse or Uncertainty.
-Cyber-Terrorism.
And yet, there have been many believers who have struggled with fear, so how are we to deal with this struggle??? Turn with me to Isaiah 41.
10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
As the Lord speaks to His prophet Isaiah this is addressed of God to His people. Because of their relationship with Yaweh, they do not need to fear anything. There is no reason for them to be dismayed. The word dismayed here means that they should not turn their gaze away from God.
Church, this same message applies to us today. If your are here tonight and find yourself weak, you need to know that God is your strength. If you are here tonight and feel like you have no friends or no one cares about you, God is there to help in your time of need. You are never alone. If you feel like you are falling or sinking in despair. God will uphold you with His right hand. Remember during this time in Israel’s history they had been off in exile in Babylon. Their land, their temple and place of worship had been taken from them, and they too needed to be reminded that God was still with them and that He was their God.
1. My first point tonight is that we don’t have to be fearful or dismayed because God is with us. We have a mighty God who is with us.
This is the same God who helped his people cross over the Sea. This is the God who provided constantly for his people in the wilderness and gave them the promise land. This is the same God who protected Gideon, David, and many others. God’s message to them was the same as it is to us. “Do not fear.” You have nothing to fear because I am with you.
King David was constantly dealing with fear. Here is what he said.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Don’t miss David’s message here. We will go through dark and difficult valleys however they are part of the path of righteousness. But why would our shepherd take us down these paths of danger and even death. He does so in order that we get to a better place. And often times that place is the path of fully relying on God. We have a tendency to trust in ourselves or in a better way of life, a better job, a better diet, better finances when God wants us to fully trust in Him and not other things that come and go. There may be things that we lack here on earth but when we have the Lord we will have all that we need. In the darkest moments of our lives, you and I have whom we need. We have the Lord. God is all powerful, all knowing, and present everywhere. May we as his children trust in Him.
We now come to 3 specific things that we see here in our text that are tools to help us when we doubt or despair. Since God is our God there are certain things that we can expect from Him to help us with fear.
A. Be Reminded that God strengthens You.
God gave his people the strength that they needed in times of adversity and doubt. Notice that back in chapter 40 and verse 31 we see how the Lord provided his people with strength.
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Church, we must wait on the Lord, we must run to the Lord and meet with him and ask him for strength and know that he will help us and renew us so that we can get through the difficult parts of this marathon journey we call the Christian faith. Are you meeting with God through prayer and Bible Study? Do you wait on the Lord or are you trusting in self?
B. Be Reminded that God will help you.
You may be here tonight wondering how in the world does God help me? It may seem as if you are all alone and that God is distant, so remember that when we as believers call upon him he hears us and even answers our prayers. This is how we know that God helps us.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
C. Be Reminded that God will uphold you with His righteous hand.
The help that we see here is ultimately symbolized by God’s Righteous Hand. In several different versions this would carry the meaning that God is victorious. God’s actions are right in all circumstances. So, what we see here church is that God’s great power will do the right thing for us his suffering people and he will deliver us.
You need to be reminded that God can and will deliver you from the fear of worry. The fear of what if i get sick, or what will happen if my loves ones die, or the fear of another pandemic. God is in control and he upholds us and is with us even in the dark valleys of this life.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
We don’t have to live a life of fear or worry and panic attacks. Lean unto the Lord and let him direct you path.
Let us now take some time to pray. Let me direct you attention to several areas that we can pray about tonight.
Pray for individuals or families to trust in God.
Pray for their salvation. You may have a lost family member or friend or even someone you work with. Let us pray for their salvation.
Pray that God would continue to train up men and women to follow Him.
Pray for our children and students tonight. That they would grow up knowing and fearing the Lord.
Let us pray for our country and its leaders. Pray for the president, the senators and judges. Pray for our governor and mayor and other elected officials.
Let us divide into some small groups and pray. When you are done please be quiet and considerate of those who are still praying. If you would like to talk go out into the lobby or parking lot and visit.
Romans 11:33–36 (ESV)
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.