Aug 15, 2012
Overcoming Fears While On Vacation
On vacation, but …
I’m on vacation.
But Satan is not.
He’s still prowling like a roaring lion — seeking to devour (1Pe 5:8).
He’s still firing flaming darts — seeking to destroy (Eph 6:16).
Fiery darts of fear
So as I’ve been on vacation I have felt some fiery darts of fear coming towards me.
- Fear of how things are going at the church while we are gone.
- Fear about finances due to some unexpected expenses.
- Fear of how this blog would do while I am in vacation-mode.
The mercy of God
But a few days ago God prepared me for these flaming darts with this verse —
Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome. (Neh 4:14)
This taught me two crucial truths about fear —
Fear is caused by forgetting the Lord.
Nehemiah says “do not be afraid.”
And then he says “remember the Lord.”
Why? Because when we are afraid, we have forgotten the Lord.
It’s psychologically impossible to trustingly remember who the Lord is to us in Christ — and at the same time feel fear.
So when I am afraid — I am forgetting the Lord.
The second truth this verse taught me was that —
Fear is overcome by remembering the Lord.
When Nehemiah says “do not be afraid” he’s NOT saying —
- ignore your feelings of fear
- think about something else
- grit your teeth and stop feeling fear
What he IS saying is —
- understand that fear shows you are forgetting the Lord
- overcome your fear by remembering the Lord
So that’s what I’ve been doing
As I have felt fears rising in my heart — I’ve asked God to help me remember that He is great and awesome.
He is great and awesome in MERCY —
Because of Jesus’ blood and righteousness I can turn to Him as I am, with my fears, and as I trust Him He is running toward me to help.
He is great and awesome in FAITHFULNESS —
He will faithfully fulfill every promise in His Word — satisfying me in Himself (Psa 16:11), giving me wisdom (James 1:5), fulfilling His purpose for me (Eph 2:10), providing everything we need (Mat 6:33).
What God has done
As I have turned to Him with my fears, asking for His help, and praying over His promises — God has met me.
He has changed my heart.
Freed me from fear.
Filled filled me with peace.
So here’s my encouragement to you —
Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome. (Neh 4:14)
Feedback? Questions? Comments?
I’d love to hear them — leave a reply below. Thanks!
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And here’s some related posts you might find helpful —
A Toothache and the Fight of FaithHow Jesus Frees Us From Fear (4-Min Video -- With French Fries)Bible Passages on FearHow God freed me from fear -- while mountain-biking
(Picture is from everystockphoto by kevinzim.)
I am a homebody and sometimes leaving for a vacation strikes fear into me from the simple fact that I am leaving home.
Good thing the Lord doesn’t go on vacation just because we do. He is still good and still God!
Thanks for this reminder. Blessings to you!
And blessings to you, too, Terrie. Thanks for letting me know that you found this helpful.
Love this post!! Thanks for sharing – will work on memorizing that vs. in Nehemiah!!!! 🙂
Thanks for letting me know this was helpful, Michelle!