Trust the God Who Never Changes with Your Fear

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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Are you an adventurer … someone who’s forever chasing after your next “new” and “exciting” product and experience? Or…

Are you a fan of the status quo … someone who is still using the same skin care products you used in high school and heading to the same vacation destination every single year. 

The truth is, no matter how badly you and I want something to last—nothing stays the same! And that can be thrilling and exciting if we’re heading toward something we want. But if we’re not, it can be upsetting. Just the thought of unpleasant and unwanted changes can give us sleepless nights and distracted days. 

It’s easy to get caught on the hamster wheel of fear and worry, isn’t it? All you have to do is turn on the news or scroll through social media to find plenty of things to challenge your peace of heart and mind.

It’s really not surprising, worry is fear’s counterpart . . . I know, I spent decades living in fear smothered by worry.

There were lesser concerns like my fear of spiders, heights, and flying; and bigger more global issues like riots, wars, and terrorism.

But my greatest worries and fears were always related to something terrible happening to one of my loves or to me. I worried about any and all kinds of unknown dangers.

Even though I knew most of the things I worried about were beyond my control, I would still end up wide awake staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night. And that’s what we fear most, isn’t it? The fear of having to live through some crisis that we can’t control. Fear gives in to worry when you and I feel helpless.

Thankfully, God helped me realize a difficult truth!

That I was going to deny myself and my family the blessing of a joy-filled wife and mom if I continuously focused on things that frightened and worried me.

It was time to make some changes…

Because the truth is—Bad things happen whether I am afraid and worried about them or not.

So, if all my worry can’t change or control the things around me, with God’s help, I needed to change me. 

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:6–7 (MSG)

And Jesus said:

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 6:33–34 (MSG)

I had to change me by changing my focus in times of quiet stillness. In the moments when I was tempted to do my best fear-filled worrying.

When I:

• focused on the problem or potential problem, not on God.
• failed to surrender my concerns to God in prayer.
• believed the enemy’s lie that I couldn’t trust God to be greater than my fear and that I couldn’t trust Him to give me what I needed if something I feared actually happened.

You see, the bottom line is that – worry is a faith and trust issue!

Trust the God Who Never Changes with Your Fear

If I wanted freedom from fear and worry I had to trust God to be greater than anything I feared. 

So, in the quiet and stillness I prayed.

“Lord, I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 9:24

And God reminded me of the countless ways He had helped me in the past and of His promises. It didn’t happen overnight but gradually as I turned to Him again and again, my faith became trust and I began to truly KNOW that…

He alone is God – Father. Son. Spirit. – He is Sovereign. Creator. Redeemer. And Advocate/Helper.

“But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God—there never has been, and there never will be.”

Isaiah 43:10

He is able – there is nothing too big for Him to handle or too small for Him to care and nothing ever happens outside of His ability to use it for my good and His glory.

[I] know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:28

He is loving, caring, and compassionate – there is nothing I can tell Him that He will ever reject, laugh at, share with anyone else, or use against me because, through Jesus, I am His child.

Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!

Ephesians 3:18 (TPT)

I KNOW I can trust the Lord and you can trust God with your fear, too.

When He says:

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

You and I can trust Him to keep His promises.

So, I want to invite you to return to the quiet and stillness often. Give your fear and worries to the God who loves you and is able to give you everything you need.

Take a moment today and honestly write your worries and fears down on paper. Name them. Face them. And then surrender them to the Lord. Tell Him you can trust Him to give you the strength and courage you need.

A Prayer to Let Go of Fear and Worry

Father, Life is hard. Bad things happen. People get sick. Relationships end. Loved ones die. It’s so easy for me to become worried and afraid about the future. About tomorrow. About later today. 

Your Word tells me not to worry, not to feel discouraged, and not to be afraid. I want that. I want bold courageous faith. I want to live without fear and worry. I want to fully experience Your perfect peace.

Please forgive me. Forgive my doubt and lack of trust.

I need Your help.

I need You.

Fill me with Your truth. Help me know and feel Your loving presence. Help me focus on You and not on the things that frighten and worry me.

I surrender my fear of __________ to You and lean on the promises found in Your Word. Promises that tell me:

• You are with me. Isaiah 43:5
• You call me Your child. 1 John 3:1
• Your love never fails. John 1:17
• Nothing can separate me from Your love. Romans 8:38
• Your love is deep, high, and wide. Ephesians 3:18
• You keep me safe. Proverbs 18:10
• You can make me strong and courageous. Joshua 10:25
• You will fill me with joy and peace. Romans 15:13

Father, Thank you. You have given me everything I need to live without fear. Forgive me for doubting You. Forgive me for the times I’ve questioned Your love or Your ability. I’m sorry.

Help me faithfully hold Your promises close to my heart and mind.

I will come to You when I am afraid. I will be still in Your presence. Because I want to know You as You really are. Not who I think You are. Not who others say You are. Not who I want You to be. I want to love and trust you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

With Your help, I will trust You.

You are my Strength, my Courage, my Hope. You are Lord of all. You are my Lord and my Redeemer. You are my Deliverer. I don’t need to be worried or afraid because You are with me. Thanks and Praise in Jesus name. Amen.

One more thing…

Take that paper with your list of fears and worries to the shredder or burn it. You’ve given it to God who is able. He is unchanging; the same yesterday, today, and forever. He loves you and He is with you. You can trust God with your fear.

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