Living By Faith Blog

Flaming darts

It was a zinger.

There I was, happily enjoying my day off — when I got a message on my phone.  Changed everything.

I felt fear.  My heart sank.  The future looked bleak — painful — hard.

I’d been hit by a “flaming dart of the Evil One” (Eph 6:16).

(Wish I could give the details — but it would not be appropriate.  Sorry.)

It is what it is

Or is it?

I’m feeling fear — and feelings feel so real that changing them seems impossible.

But God promises to change our feelings — as we fight the fight of faith using prayer and His Word (Psa 19:7; Isa 57:15; Rom 15:13).

So what IS (my feelings) isn’t what HAS TO BE.  Because God can change my heart.

But how?

Not by–

• not thinking about it (doesn’t work)
• a positive mental attitude (based on what?)
• trying to believe that what I fear will never happen (says who?)

No, in His Word God tells us how fear can be overcome.  By faith — trusting His promises.

Take Psa 112:7, for example — “He is not afraid of bad news, his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.”

Why is the psalmist not afraid?  Because his heart is firmly trusting the Lord.

So — the fact that I AM afraid shows that I am NOT firmly trusting the Lord.

How this helps

This helps — because it showed me what I needed to do — trust the Lord.

I was heading on a mountain-bike ride — so here’s what I did as I was riding.

I prayed — confessed my unbelief, asked the Father to forgive me through Jesus, and asked Him to strengthen my faith (Mark 9:24).

Then — because faith is strengthened through God’s Word (Rom 10:17) — I needed to set my heart on Scripture.

Jeremiah 29:11

Dozens of times God has freed me from fear through this promise.

So as I rode, I meditated on Jeremiah 29:11 —

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare [shalom — peace and joy] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Here’s what I pondered —

• God has planned my life.  That’s a mystery beyond my pea-sized brain.  But the events of my life are not random.  God has everything planned (Psa 139:16).
• So this event I fear either IS or IS NOT part of God’s plan.  It’s firmly under His sovereign control (Eph 1:11).
• For those who trust Jesus, all God’s plans bring welfare — shalom — peace and joy.
• So IF what I fear actually happens — it’s part of God’s plan for my welfare — shalom — peace and joy.

Peace and joy?  How?

How could it bring me peace and joy?  I’m fearful for a reason — because if it happens it will bring pain, loss, and cost.

But if it happens — it’s also part of God’s plan to bring me welfare — shalom — peace and joy.

How?  I don’t know all the ways.

But I do know one way — God promises that it will bring me more closeness to Christ, more joy in His glory now and forever (2Cor 4:17).

What happened in my heart

So as I rode my mountain bike, I prayed over these truths.

And I asked the Father —

• to strengthen my faith in His Word.
• to help me treasure Christ more — so I would welcome pain in order to gain more of Him.
• to not let this painful event happen.

And as I did this — honestly — my fear disappeared.

I was filled with peace and joy.

Not because I wasn’t thinking about the problem.  Not because I persuaded myself it wouldn’t happen.

But because I knew that even if it happened —

• it would be part of God’s plan
• it would bring me great good — especially the greatest good of more of Christ

It was a great mountain bike ride.

Comments?  Questions?  Thoughts?

I’d love to hear them.  Feel free to leave a reply below.  Thanks.

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And here’s more on overcoming fear —

• Fearful or worried?
• Facing a trial?  Jesus is the Super-Piling.
• Why heart-satisfaction is so important.
• How faith in Christ changes us.