How To Overcome Fear

A very favorite passage of scripture of mine is Isaiah 41:10. We read, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

These are comforting words. Notice, five times God uses the personal pronoun “I” in this short verse.

• “I am with thee.”

• “I am thy God.”

• “I will strengthen thee.”

• “I will help thee.”

• “I will uphold thee.”

The reason God used the word “I” so many times we feel so helpless due to the difficulties we face. But He says I AM NOT HELPLESS!

• Many times pastors have chosen to use this verse of scripture by a graveside when a widow has been left alone. She does not know what she is going to do. What a comfort it is to her to hear her God say, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee...”

• Sometimes this passage is read when someone has just gone through a devastating divorce and that person does not know what he is going to do. What a comfort it is to hear God say, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee...”

• Sometimes this passage is read when someone has just been to the doctor and was told he/she had a terminal disease.

What a comfort, again, to hear God say, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee...”

This is one of the most comforting verses of scripture in the Bible.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FEARS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TODAY?

1. SOME FEAR DEATH EVERY DAY OF THEIR LIVES.

That is not very difficult to prove.

Illus: Alfred Krupp, the Prussian manufacturer had such a fear of death, it is said of him that:

• He never forgave anyone who brought up the subject of death in his presence.

• All his employees knew that to bring up the subject of death in his presence would bring immediate dismissal from their jobs.

• A relative of his wife was visiting with them and died suddenly in Krupp’s home. He fled the house in terror.

• His wife later rebuked him for his act and he forsook her and never lived with her again.

• He offered his doctor a sum of one million dollars if he could prolong his life for ten more years.

Of course, no doctor could do that, and he died like everyone else dies.

There are many who live every day with the FEAR OF DEATH.

2. SOME LIVE WITH A FEAR OF GROWING OLD.

You can take the most attractive young person in this town and ten years from now they may have aged so much that you and I might not be able to recognize that person if we saw that person coming down the street.

Many are aware of this and they buy Oil of Olay by the buckets full trying to prevent this from happening, but it happens to them just as it happens to everyone else.

Many are fearful every day as they look in the mirror daily and discover their bodies are aging.

Men and women alike have this fear.

Illus: One man said:

? “It is terrible growing old alone.”

? Someone said, “What do you mean, it is terrible growing old alone. You have a wife who is about your age don’t you?”

? He said, “Yes, but she has not had a birthday in the last fifty years.”

We all find ourselves in some fearful situation! What do we do in times like this?

The psalmist said in psalm 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

In this passage of scripture God is speaking to the children of Israel through His prophet Isaiah while they were in bondage. God told them, “Fear thou not...”

God did not just say, “Fear thou not...” He went on to tell them WHY THEY SHOULD NOT BE FEARFUL.

He gave them at least four reasons.

I. WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING.

Look at these words, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee...”

If we are going to live a life free from fear we have to acknowledge God has promised, “I AM WITH THEE!”

When we are aware of that truth, that God is with us, we can face the future.

Illus: Many can remember how it was when they were children and became afraid. They would run and stand beside their dads and moms and hold their hands.

Illus: I like that old hymn that states it this way, “I don’t know about tomorrow, but I know who holds my hand.”

When you become aware of God’s presence, it gives courage to face the hard times of life.