"What Time I Am Afraid, I Will Trust In Thee.”

I looked back into my archives and saw where I preached from this same verse in 2013.

We do not like to talk about our fears because they make us look weak, but everyone live with fear.

However, it is not just the weak that live in fear, some great men live in fear.

Illus: God said of Job’s greatness that he was a perfect and upright man. But did you know Job lived in fear.

For example, he said in Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

This verse has to be taken in context and is explained by Job 1:4-5, where we find that Job continually made sacrifices for his family, because he was afraid they might have "sinned or cursed God in their hearts," and judgment might fall.

This was "the thing" which Job greatly feared.

And when Job got news of their death this is when he said, For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me

Our life is controlled by FEAR or by FAITH. That is, if you live a life…

(1) Faith in God certain things are going to come about in your life. AS YOUR FAITH SO SHALL IT BE UNTO YOU!

(2) Fear certain things are going to come about in your life. AS YOUR FEAR SO SHALL IT BE UNTO YOU.

Illus: (Dr. Odell Belger) Let me tell you a true story. I somewhat reluctant to tell you because it is almost unbelieveable. But this story is so unusual, before I tell you this story I want you to know that I am well aware that I am standing in the presence of God almighty as I tell this true story.

I was visiting a patient at the Veteran hospital years ago. When I got there I pulled my car into this large parking lot. It so happen that I found a place to park my car by the entrance of this parking lot. The entrance was a large entrance.

After I visited this parishioner I was walking toward the parking lot to get in my car. I noticed a car in the parking lot that was moving in the lane in the direction of my car. When I first noticed this car the car was about 50 yards from my car.

As I was walking toward my car all of a sudden I had a FEAR that this car was going to run into my car. When I thought that I kept my eyes on that moving car that was moving very slowly. But from the time I saw it I began to think all the time he is going to run into my car. Guess what? Out of hundreds of cars he ran into my car. I ran over to my car and the man was apologizing for running into my car. I told him, don’t worry about it, it wasn’t his fault.

He probably thought I was crazy for saying it wasn’t his fault. But I felt it was my fault because I had this fearful belief he was going to run into my car and that is exactly what he did.

Now you can think I am crazy but I have always felt that God was teaching me something, OUR FEARS CAN CAUSE US SOME PROBLEMS.

Listen, our FEAR and our FAITH creates situations in our life.

Job feared for his children and he said the very thing he feared would happened…DID HAPPENED!!!

Illus: There are people everytime they have a severe pain in their body out of fear of death they run to see a doctor who many times physically is in worst shape then they are.

Illus: People like this reminds me of that television program called “Sanford and Son”. Everytime this old man had a big problem he would grab his chest and say, “Elizabeth, I am coming, I believe this is he big one”.

People have phobias all kinds . Some have a:

• Fear of spiders

• Fear of people or society (being in crowds)

• Fear of thunder or lightening

• Fear of failure

• Fear of being alone

• Fear of confined spaces

• Fear of dogs

• Fear of speaking in public etc.

If any of the above apply to you, then you have a Phobia!

The fact that you have a phobia doesn’t mean you’re crazy!!! It may cause you to act crazy but it does not mean you are crazy.

If having a phobia means a person is crazy that would mean everyone is crazy because probably every person is afraid of something.

In dealing with fear this is what the Psalmist said in Psalm 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”