Getting Over Fear

Psalm 34: ⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
    he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
    their faces are never covered with shame.
⁶ This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them.

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¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ The righteous person may have many troubles,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;
²⁰ he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.

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Scared of the mountain I went with the kids who were on the trip. I hadn’t even heard of a “bunny hill” but it seemed harmless. I went skiing with a bunch of people who couldn’t afford luxury trips and we had fun. My fear was unwarranted. I went bowling and I thought I would embarrass myself.

I didn’t know how to hold the ball and I didn’t know how to keep score. Gutter after gutter I tried to get it right. My score was a dismal 23 out of a perfect score of 300. I had a great time and went on to enjoy bowling.

• Sometimes I’m scared to get embarrassed.
• Sometimes my fear holds me back from trying.
• Sometimes I think too hard about the consequence rather than the blessing.

Fear is a very personal thing. What is easy for some is scary to me. I mean it seems so easy for people to do things I shudder to think about doing. I even had a fear of talking about GOD. I mean what if they reject “my” words?

• GOD says to me “I will deliver you from all your troubles.”
• GOD says to me “I save those who are crushed in spirit.”
• GOD says to me “I am close to the broken hearted.”
• GOD says to me “I camp angels to protect you because you fear ME.”

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. HE enables me to know the difference of fearing losing something I wasn’t supposed to have versus fearing following HIM. HE may embarrass me or make me look crazy to those who are against HIM. They may even humiliate me which doesn’t feel good at all, BUT GOD knows HIS great plan for me, plans to prosper me.

• Are you full of fear?
• Are you scared of being embarrassed?
• Can you get over your fears of the world and add a healthy fear of the LORD?