When You Feel It's Icy Grip...

Uncertainty hangs thickly in the air. Perhaps it's uncertainty of the future, perhaps it's uncertainty about something going on right now. Maybe life isn't as promising as it used to be. The once young, ambitious Christian who has now gotten older in years has become cautious and unwilling to step out onto the wings of faith in the midst of a storm.

That uncertainty is often so thick that one can't see through it. Threatening voices whisper, "It won't be ok! Everything is going to fall apart!" And the eyes of the Christian dart every which way, looking at his storms, gripped by one very powerful vice of the enemy ...that being fear.


 Ever felt it's icy grip on your life? It paralyzes every person in it's grasp.

Fear is what caused Peter to sink into the powerful waves of the sea after he'd taken a few steps on top of them. Fear is what kept him from admitting that he was Jesus' follower on the night of Jesus' arrest. Fear is what keeps Christians from speaking out for the Christ they claim to follow.

Fear is what keeps the mom of teenagers awake late at night, afraid she will lose them to the dangers that constantly lurk about in this world. Fear is what keeps the dad who has little up at night, hoping, wishing he could afford to provide more for his family, afraid he will lose what little he has. Fear is what causes the child to look in the closet and under the bed to make sure nothing is lurking in the darkness. It causes us to avoid dark hallways, keep quiet when we should speak up, stay away from uncomfortable situations... It prevents us from stepping out and trying new endeavors.

Those that are under its spell lose sight of their purpose and try to do everything they can to prevent whatever they fear from happening. They grasp at whatever is nearby, hoping it will grant them solace, aching for the fears to subside, but to no avail. They seek the place out in which they were comfortable, but find the fears threatening them even there...

Why don't these things help?

The other morning, I was reading in the Psalms and one verse struck me: "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:4) 


Do you know what delivered him from his fears? It wasn't some scheme to get out of whatever he feared. He sought the Lord, and was delivered from all his fears. 

Dear Christian, your deliverance does not lie in your friends, in your schemes, in your plans, in some magnificent thing you decide to do, it lies in your Deliverer, and it only comes when you seek Him, not what He gives, not what He will do, just Him.

Do you trust Him? It is not that you should never feel fear, or if you have fear something is wrong with you, it is that you must respond to the fear you feel by seeking your Deliverer. Run to Him, dear Christian. He never fails. He is the One who will give you that peace you so desperately long for.

"Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

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