“Mommy, when you talk about storms, my belly feels funny.”
My youngest said this to me as he listened to his older brother and I talk about hurricanes. He has always feared storms. Thunder, lightning, tornado warnings, and the threat of hurricanes put him on edge. When a storm rages outside, I often find him hiding under the covers or in the dark depths of my closet. It doesn’t help that we live in Florida, the lightning capital and often hurricane central.
I understand his heart. I have many fears of my own. From snakes to accidents, from failure to terminal illness, my heart has often been consumed by fears. I have feared the future, the unknown, and the uncontrollable.
The problem with fear is that it can paralyze us and keep us from moving forward. It can block our vision so that we can’t see anything else but the giant looming before us. Fear can also motivate us to try and control our circumstances, our life, and that of those around us. Our days become filled with trying to keep our greatest fears at bay….to read the rest of this post, visit iBelieve, my writing home today.
I think we can all admit that we do. In fact, we probably worry more than we realize. As a mother, I find myself worrying about my children, about their health, their learning, and whether I can just make it to bedtime each day.
I also find myself worried about paying bills, about my husband’s travel for work, and about that message from my doctor needing to discuss test results with me. My to-do lists keep me awake at night because I fear I’ll forget to do something important. Questions like “what if?” and “should I have?” swirl around my mind, holding me hostage and keeping me chained to my worries and fears…to read the rest of this post, visit Desiring God.
“Mom, I don’t want to go out to dinner tonight” my son said to me in a trembling voice.
I looked out the windows and saw the darkening sky. Rain began to fall, followed by the sounds of thunder. I sighed, knowing it would be hard to talk him into leaving the house until it was over.
My son is afraid of thunder storms. Every summer Florida afternoon is spent praying with him and talking him out from his safe spot in the depths of my bedroom closet.
I have fears of my own. I don’t like snakes, spiders, and dark alley ways. These are things which cause my heart to pound and make me want to run screaming in the other direction. (In fact I once threatened to move to a hotel until my husband dealt with a snake problem we had). When I think of fear, I also think of those things that I pray will never happen to myself or those that I love such as sickness, harm, grief, and pain.
But is there ever a situation in which fear is not something to avoid or try to control, but actually something to desire or even take delight in?
The Bible says there is.
“Praise the LORD! How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands.” Psalm 112:1
“The LORD is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14
“Whoever fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26
“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him.” Psalm 147:11
“The fear of the Lord leads to life; and he who has it rests satisfied.” Proverbs 19:23
These passages and many others in Scripture, particularly in the Old Testament, describe fear as something we ought to seek after. Fear is not equated as something that is bad but rather as something desirable. These verses characterize the fear of the Lord as something that brings us joy, security, and a closeness with God.
Another example of this good type of fear is in Psalm 130:4 where it says, “But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.” This verse teaches that God’s forgiveness leads to greater fear of the Lord. If fear means being terrified and wanting to run away from something (like my son with storms or me with snakes), it seems strange to say that being forgiven would lead to greater fear. When I am forgiven by someone, I am usually drawn closer to that person, not away from them.
Tim Keller in his book, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, says that the word “fear” in the Bible is used to mean ‘overwhelmed or controlled by something.’ He says, “To fear the Lord is to be overwhelmed with wonder before the greatness of God and his love.” When the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord, it doesn’t mean to be scared as we tend to think of it. That is why we can say this kind of fear is a good thing. This kind of fear means that we are overwhelmed by a God who is great, powerful, wonderful, awesome, loving, gracious, merciful, and so much more. His character, His love, and the works of His hands move us to stand before Him in awe and wonder.
John Piper describes this kind of fear like that of being caught in an terrible storm while exploring an Arctic glacier. The storm is so strong that you fear you just might blow right over the side of the cliff. But then you discover a cleft in the ice where you can hide and find shelter. Yet even though you are safe, you watch the storm go past with a kind of “trembling pleasure.” John Piper writes, “At first there was the fear that this terrible storm and awesome terrain might claim your life. But then you found a refuge and gained the hope that you would be safe. But not everything in the feeling called fear vanished from your heart. Only the life-threatening part. There remained the trembling, the awe, the wonder, the feeling that you would never want to tangle with such a storm or be the adversary of such power…The fear of God is what is left of the storm when you have a safe place to watch right in the middle of it….Oh, the thrill of being here in the center of the awful power of God, yet protected by God himself!” (p. 186-187 in The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God’s Delight in Being God).
To fear the Lord is to be like Moses and remove our sandals because we realize we are standing on holy ground. It is to grasp the wonder of the gospel, that a holy and righteous God would take on flesh and enter into this sin stained world to rescue us from the clutches of sin and death. It’s to see His work in our lives and be amazed at how He loves, provides, and cares for us. It is to be utterly blown away that because of Christ, we are children of God and can freely come into His presence without shame.
When we fear the Lord, we are like the woman at the well who came face to face with the One who knew everything about her (John 4). She had come to draw water from the well and instead got a taste of Living Water. She left wonderstruck, running into the village to tell everyone, “He told me everything I ever did.” It is to be like the disciples who had gone through a horrific and frightening storm on the Sea of Galilee where they thought for sure they would die. Jesus merely spoke and the wind and rains stopped at his command. “In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (Luke 8:25).
Having the fear of the Lord is a good thing. It means we are living in a constant state of wonder and amazement as we stand before the throne of grace. This is the kind of fear I will not avoid or run from but embrace with arms open wide. How about you? Do you know this fear?
It starts the moment we awake and continues all throughout the day. It happens while we work, eat, drive, and even while we talk to others. At the end of the day, while we lie in bed, it keeps us awake, making us toss and turn well into the night. It is so common place and such a part of us that we often don’t even notice it.
Counselors call it “self-talk.” Others call it our internal dialogue. You might call it talking to yourself. No matter its name, everyone thinks, ponders, and mulls over the events of their day and the circumstances of their life. After an argument with our spouse, we may replay it in our minds and think of all the things we would have said. We’d agree with ourselves that we were right and our spouse was wrong. When our kids do something wrong for the hundredth time that day, we think “What is going on? Why can’t they just do what they are told?” And when someone cuts in front of us in line, we think “What do they think they’re doing? That’s not fair, I was here first.”
Even more than just debating issues or pondering life’s situations, we also say things to ourselves that just are not true. When something bad happens, the first thought in my mind is a sarcastic comment like this, “Of course, that’s just how my life is.” When the day starts off first thing with a challenge I think, “Oh great. This is going to be a horrible day.” I also hear ongoing whispers of “Your just not good enough.” “You don’t matter.” “Just stop trying and give up.”
Our internal dialogue with ourselves is a powerful force in our decision making, our responses to others and to life’s circumstances, as well as determining the direction of our emotions. My own internal discussions often snowball out of control. I tend toward too much introspection and often mull things over to death in my mind. One negative thought triggers another and they turn to each other and say, “Yes, that’s right.” They bring in more friends to join them, and then gaining speed, they produce an avalanche of tumbling thoughts and emotions.
Scripture tells us to “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8) We are also taught to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Dr. Martin LLoyd-Jones put it like this, “I say that we must talk to ourselves instead of allowing ‘ourselves’ to talk to us! Do you realize what that means? I suggest that the main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression in a sense is that, that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self…Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?” (from his book Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure).
Rather than allowing our thoughts to take over and push us over the edge into worry, fear, depression, and hopelessness, Dr. Jones suggested that we stop listening to ourselves and instead talk back to ourselves. The writer of Psalm 42 does this very thing. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (v.5). He talks to himself asking, “Why are you so upset?” Then he tells himself what he needs to do-put his hope in God. When we hear ourselves speaking lies, we must talk back to ourselves by speaking the truth of God’s word.
Dr. Jones goes on to write,
“You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: “Why art thou cast down’-what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: ‘Hope thou in God’-instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do.”
While we may joke about talking to ourselves, it’s actually something we should do. We ought to preach the truth of the gospel to ourselves, reminding ourselves of who we are because of Christ. As a child of our heavenly Father, we are heirs of the Kingdom. We have been cleansed and made new by the sacrificial death of Christ in our place. God looks at us and does not see our sin but Christ’s righteousness instead. We are new creatures; the old is gone, the new has come. God is even now molding us and shaping us into the likeness of his Son. He’s not letting go or giving up on us and there is nothing that can separate us from his love.
How’s that for speaking the truth to our self?
So go on, talk to yourself. Speak the truth. Remind yourself of who you are. And stop listening to the lies.
This is another post in the series titled, The Healer of Our Souls. The posts in this series focus on how the truth of God’s Word brings healing to all wounded parts of our soul.To read more in this series, click here.
My heart is often fickle. I sing praise to God about His wonders and grace when life is going well. I testify to everyone about what He has done and how He has answered my prayers. But then once life makes a turn and I face an obstacle or a trial, I complain, question God, and doubt the very grace I once praised.
What is wrong with me?
When the circumstances in my life change from rosy to fair or even worse, does that mean God has changed? Is He only good if He is giving me good things and whatever I ask for? And what about when the trials linger, does that mean His power has diminished or that He’s lost His love for me?
While my head would say that the answer to all of these questions is a resounding “No” the truth is, my heart often responds with a “Yes.”
Oh, that God would give me grace to make what my head knows to be true to be what my heart lives out as truth!
The truth is, I project my own human limitations and expectations on God. This is why my heart questions His love, power, or grace when life gets hard. But God is not the one who changes, I do. I am the fickle Queen of Broken Promises, with swinging emotions and a distracted heart.
While I may be ever changing, there is one thing that is constant, dependable and sure. There is one thing I can count on when I journey through deep valleys and grope in the darkness of uncertainty. Like keeping my eyes on the level horizon when a storm rages at sea, there is one constant I can look to when the storms of life rage in my soul.
The character of God.
God never changes. He is always faithful and keeps every promise. He never tires, feels helpless, or loses his power. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” And he is always, always good.
Jesus prayed for the disciples, “Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth” (John 17:17). It is the truth of God’s word which changes us, sanctifies us, transforms us-from the inside out. When it comes to the character of God, the more I study His word to learn about his attributes, the more in awe I will be. The more I dwell on the unshakable truths about God, the more I am utterly moved that he would ever love me. And my own love and trust for him grows as I splash in the joy of being known and loved by our amazing God.
Below are just a few of the attributes or character traits of God found in Scripture. Will you join me in studying and learning more about who God is? As you study these attributes of God, consider using them in your prayers. Thank God for each of his characteristics. Use them in prayers of praise. Confess how you may have failed to trust him for these attributes. Ask him to apply them to your heart so that you might have deeper faith and love for him.
This is another post in the series The Healer of Our Souls. This series is intended to show how God’s word is the source of healing for all wounds in our soul. To read the other posts in this series, click here.
I sit in the doctor’s office, feeling a sense of deja vu. It was four years ago that my oldest son had sinus surgery. Now I’m here again with my youngest, hearing the news all over again.
As the surgeon rattles off a list of four procedures my youngest son needs, my stomach tightens. Tears burn my eyes. I feel a panic rise up. Not again. Not my baby.
But because I’ve been down this road before, I know where it leads: fear, anxiety, worry, despair. Not this time.
No, this time, I cling to this truth: God is sovereign.
When life’s circumstances threaten to undo me, I have to rest in the sovereignty of God. This is where the rubber meets the road-do I really believe God is in control of all things? If I do, then He is most certainly in control of my son’s health. This did not hit him by surprise. He is not panicked. He’s not wondering what’s wrong and scratching His head about what to do.
In fact, God has allowed this situation for a reason and it’s in His perfect plan that I place my trust. I know that He loves me and my son. Because He promises that all things work together for our ultimate good, I know that good is what will come of it. He knows how much I love my son. He even knows what it’s like to see His own Son suffer.
He is in this and He’s got this.
God’s word is the source of healing for the wounds in my soul. It reminds me that the same God who formed the sun, moon, and stars cares about me. It reminds me that the same God who uses the earth as a footstool loved me before the earth existed. It’s this God who promises to never leave me or forsake me.
And it’s there, in His word, that I find the comfort I need today:
“Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!” Proverbs 30:4
“Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?” Isaiah 40:14
“He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth- the LORD God Almighty is his name.” Amos 4:13
“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2
“The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” Psalm 135:6
“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6
“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:8
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
I am a worrier. Are you? Sometimes my heart is so full of worry I can think of nothing else. It is in those times that I need to be reminded of the gospel. I need to remember the truth about who I am in Christ and that He never leaves me alone. I need to lay my worries at the cross and rest in the freedom that Christ has born all my burdens.
Sometimes, I am so overwhelmed by worries and concerns that I just can’t concentrate to pray. I want to pray. I know I need to pray. But I can’t seem to focus my mind.
C.S. Lewis wrote to his friend Malcomb that we should start off prayer with whatever is on our minds, because the very things that distract us will keep us from praying. I’ve learned that when I am worried, I need to pray about each and every thought and feeling on my heart.
I also like to pray through the gospel, to remind myself of what is true. As I pray through what Christ has done for me, it frees me of my burdens. Looking back at God’s grace for me in the past gives me hope for His grace in the future.
Today I wanted to share a prayer I wrote for those of us who carry heavy burdens, who feel weighed down with worries and cares. I pray that this prayer encourages your own heart and leads you to a time of sweet communion through prayer with your Father in Heaven.
My Papa in Heaven,
I come to you with a heart heavy and full of so many worries and cares. I want to just curl up on your lap and find some peace from the chaos in my life. My worries fill my mind night and day. My stomach is in knots and I can hardly breathe. I feel like I am drained dry; the joy has been sucked right out of me.
You said to come to you with all my burdens. You said that you will carry them. Scripture describes you as a rock, shield, and fortress. I need a rock right now. I need a fortress to run into right now. I need you.
There are so many decisions to make. What if I make the wrong one? So many bad things loom on the horizon, what if I’m not prepared? Help me to focus my heart on you and not on the giants around me. I know that all these worries are keeping me from trusting you. Instead of looking in your face, I am looking around at the waves crashing over me.
Forgive me for doubting and not living a life of trust. I believe, but please help my unbelief. I know when I worry, I am believing a lie that says that I can control what happens in my life. Forgive me for trying to control something I never really had control of. Help me to trust in your word and not the lies I have believed.
You sent your Son to carry my greatest burden at the cross. I know that you can handle all that troubles me today. There is nothing too great for you, the earth is your footstool and the wind and rain come and go at your command. Free me of this worry today. Help me to trust the same grace that saved me at the cross to save me from all that weighs me down today.
I know that you have a perfect plan for my life. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. I want to trust in your plan and your love for me. I want to face the unknown future confident that you have it under control. Give me the grace I need to do so.
I thank you for Jesus and that because of Him I can come to you in confidence. You accept me as I am, worries and all. I give them all to you now, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
To read a related prayer, A Prayer for the Sad at Heart, click here.
Hearing this news from our pediatric ENT was not at all what I wanted to hear. “He’s going to need surgery and I can’t do it. I’m going to send you to a specialist in Miami who does this surgery with children this young.”
My oldest was four and after two years of chronic infections, tests, and an adenoidectomy, the doctor finally determined that he needed sinus surgery. After two years of various treatments including a surgery without results, the thought of him having sinus surgery was too much…to read the rest of this story, visit Domestic Kingdom, my writing home today.
In my little corner of the world, we take storms seriously-hurricanes especially. I was raised outside our nation’s capital, so ‘hurricane’ was not a word in my vocabulary. Once I got married and moved to Florida, it quickly became a word we used often especially during the six months of hurricane season. And if there is one thing I’ve learned about storms, it is the importance of being prepared before they come.
Each year we prepare for storms by storing extra water, canned food, gasoline, flashlights and batteries. We know whose house is safest for us to evacuate to if needed. Not only that, but we have a generator for when the power is out for days on end.
But one year, there was one thing I hadn’t considered in my storm preparations…
To read the rest of this post, visit Domestic Kingdom, my writing home today.
I was sixteen when the first seeds of worry were planted in my heart. My father was out of work that whole year. While the rest of my friends planned parties to celebrate their special year, I hid away in my bedroom, lost in a sea of uncertainty, worry, and fear. Those seeds of worry quickly sprouted and grew like weeds, entangling itself all around my heart. Worry continued to thrive and grow during my college years where I stressed over every test, project, and of course, the wedding plans.
Worry then continued its growth into my early marriage, graduate school years, and into my career. But it was when I became a mother that worry grew into full bloom in my heart…to read the rest of this post about the weeds of worry, visit Women of God Magazine where I am guest posting today.
“Mommy, when you talk about storms, my belly feels funny.”
, says that the word “fear” in the Bible is used to mean ‘overwhelmed or controlled by something.’ He says, “To fear the Lord is to be overwhelmed with wonder before the greatness of God and his love.” When the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord, it doesn’t mean to be scared as we tend to think of it. That is why we can say this kind of fear is a good thing. This kind of fear means that we are overwhelmed by a God who is great, powerful, wonderful, awesome, loving, gracious, merciful, and so much more. His character, His love, and the works of His hands move us to stand before Him in awe and wonder.
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