A Powerful Weapon Against Fear

We continue this week with a look at how our fears erode our self-confidence in my series, Confident in God's Hands. Today, I would like to give you a powerful weapon to use in the battle against fear.

Begin with the truth.
Years ago, I decided to home school my children. In the state where we lived at the time, it was practically illegal. Other home schooling parents advised me not to take the children out in public during the school day. At the time, truant officers were pressing charges against parents and removing the children from their parents' care.

I was more than a litte scared about making such a huge change in our family. What if I got caught? Would the authorities take away my children? What if I failed to teach the children all that they needed to know? Would they find themselves falling short in all areas of life?

I realized that I needed tremendous courage to make it through that first school year. So did the kids. So I decided to begin by teaching them some key verses of Scripture. Their first memorized verse was Psalm 27:1 (NIV): The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my lfe--of whom shall I be afraid?

While the kids worked to memorize those lines, the truth of it began to sink into my heart. It dawned on me that God was like a fortress around me, and he wasn't going to let anyone break down the walls that he had built.

Expect results.
God's love is an impenatrable wall that fears cannot break down. His truth became the foundation of newfound courage for me in the face of great challenges. Since that time, I have built upon his truths daily to overcome the fears that threaten to steal my peace.

Did my tactic of using God's Word work? I think so. I'm far less fearful today than I was back then. And all three of my adult children know God and have used the knowledge they gained through home schooling and traditional education to become successful in their professions.

If we read God's truth daily and focus on what he can do, no fear can stop us. But we must expect results when we read, applying the truths to our own situations. In other words, we must have faith and believe that God's promises are real and that they apply to each of us personally.

Today's Challenge
Write down Psalm 27:1 in a prominent place where you will see it daily. Write it on an index card and tape it to your bathroom mirror, paint it over your front door, or put in on your computer's screen saver. Memorize the truth contained in God's Word so that you can be better prepared to ward off fears when they come after you.