Scripture:
Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
1 John 2:1-5a
Luke 24:35-48
Reflection:
"As soon as I lie down I fall peacefully asleep, for You alone oh Lord bring security to my dwelling." Psalm 4: 9
I used to have a problem with fear. I remember being afraid of the dark when I was a little kid, but it became even more distressing after I got married and had kids. It started when Jim had to be out of town one week each month for work and I was home alone with the kids. I would wake up in a cold sweat, paralyzed with fear. I didn’t know why, and I didn’t know what to do.
God’s Word came to the rescue. I learned that not only does the Word of God teach us about God, but it also has power to accomplish what it says! All we have to do is find the scriptures that fit our situation and then begin to speak the verses aloud when we come up against our problem.
Here are some of the verses I found to help me battle my problem with fear:
"Fear is useless, what is needed is trust." Mark 5:36b
"He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him." Psalm 31b
"I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:5
The more we learn and speak the Word of God, the more we begin to believe it and claim the truth of it for our lives. As I spoke these verses over and over, I began to believe that God really didn’t want me to be afraid anymore. Psalm 4:9 – the verse that I started this reflection with – became the verse I prayed and believed each night before I went to sleep.
My victory over fear came when I understood the verse: "Perfect love casts out fear." (1 John 4:18) God showed me that He is perfect love, so if I cling to Him, and keep my eyes on Him, the fear flees. I have been tempted to fear many times since I learned these verses, but because I have taken God at His Word and believed His truth for my life, I am no longer afraid. Thank you Lord!!!
Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Portland, OR and partner with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. Janice also leads women’s retreats. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.jcarleton.com/ or email her at [email protected]