Conquering Fear and Anxiety

Fear Is a Liar

God has been very upfront about fear to us.

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

But Fear can cause so much bad thinking in us and cause so much doubt and anxiety.

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

John 14:27 NKJV

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Psalm 55:22 NKJV

Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

What happens when we don’t listen to God or believe His word?

1 John 4:18 NKJV

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Fear involves torment! When we are fearful we torment ourselves with feelings and emotions that corrode our faith and steal our joy!

Some or our main fears are :

Fear of Being Abandoned - Are you always trying to make sure people don’t leave you?

Fear of Losing who we are - Are you so worried that you will cease to exist because others or situations become a threat to you?

Fear of Losing Meaning - Are you trying to make sure what you do means something?

Fear of Losing our Purpose - Are you afraid you will serve no purpose?

Fear of Death, sickness, pain - Does the uncertainty of life haunt you?

Questions to ask ourselves?

Why is that upsetting to me?

What am I afraid will happen next?

What Am I afraid that I will miss or lose?

1 Kings 17:7–16 NKJV

And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ” So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

God sent His prophet to Zarephath so that a widow would provide for him.

A widow… Had lost her husband. She had to take care of her son. Loss, abandonment, drought, lack of money, lack of food.

Gathering sticks and now God places a demand on her life.

How would you feel if you were in the widow’s shoes?

She is to provide for a man, from her last meal.

She had run out of hope… That we may eat and die

Elijah said to her “ Do not Fear”

Her fear was dealt with by the word of God

The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the Lord sends rain on the earth!!!