Using the HelpFinder Bible we will discover what the Bible has to say about some questions about fear.
Fears are real and natural, at times more real than that which we fear. Fears may leave us feeling unsettled and insecure, doubting our self-worth, having sleep problems or health problems, and worrying about how tomorrow will treat us. The issues that we want settled are simple—how do we avoid fear when we can, how do we live with it when we must, and what can we learn from it?
When is fear not good?
HEBREWS 10:31 | It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Fear is terrifying if we have to fall into the hands of God without having made peace with him.
GENESIS 26:7 | He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.”
JOSHUA 17:16 | “The Canaanites . . . have iron chariots. . . . They are too strong for us.”
Fear is not good if it keeps us from doing the things we ought to do. We are not meant to live in fear.
NUMBERS 13:28-31 | “But the people living there are powerful. . . . We even saw giants there! . . . We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”
Fear is not good when we allow it to distort our view of our great God who is greater than any problem we face.
What can I do when I am overcome with fear? How do I find the strength to go on?
PSALM 46:1-2 | God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.
JOHN 14:27 | “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. . . . So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
God promises to comfort us in our fear if we seek him when we are afraid. We have the confident assurance that he is with us in any circumstance.
DEUTERONOMY 31:6 | “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Remind yourself that God is always with you. Your situation may be genuinely threatening, but God has not abandoned you, and he promises to stay with you. Even if your situation is so bad that it causes death, God has not left you but has instead ushered you into his very presence.
EPHESIANS 1:3 | All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
Remind yourself that no enemy or adversity can take away your most important blessings— the forgiveness God gave you for your sins, your relationship with him, and your eternal salvation. These remain secure even when your world falls apart.
REVELATION 22:5 | And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
Remind yourself that as a Christian, your destiny is victory! Present hardships and heartaches are temporary. You can go forward with the confidence that you are on the winning side.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 | Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Pray with a thankful heart, asking God to give you what you need to deal with your fear. Peace is not the absence of fear but the conquest of fear.
Peace is not running away but overcoming.
2 TIMOTHY 1:7 | For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Fear presents an opportunity for you to develop greater faith as you call upon the power of God to help you.
GENESIS 26:7 | When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.”
JOSHUA 17:16 | “But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots. . . . They are too strong for us.”
Fear must not keep you from doing the things you know are right. You are not meant to live in fear.
P R O M I S E S F R O M G O D
LEVITICUS 26:6 | “I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear.”
PSALM 91:11 | “He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.”
