50 Encouraging Scripture Verses to Combat Fear

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Lynn

In the Bible “fear” is spoken of over 500 times!  In addition to the 103 “Fear not” or “Be not afraid” verses there’s also the “fear of God” verses which speak of the reverence for God alone, and then many more verses that encourage us to not worry or to not to be anxious.  God does not want us to live in fear, and yet in our humanness it is hard to let go of our anxiety and just allow the peace of God to indwell us.  Since fear (anxiety and worry) seems to be something so many people struggle with, I have compiled 50 verses rather than my usual 25 verses to encourage you to “let go and let God” handle your fear.  He is in control!

Psalm 23:1-6  “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Isaiah 41:13  “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

Exodus 14:13  “Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.”

Deuteronomy 31:6  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

2 Timothy 1:7  “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

Psalm 27:1  “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?”

Luke 1:30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.”

Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

Hebrews 13:6  “So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.     What can mere mortals do to me?”

John 14:27  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Isaiah 35:4  “say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

Joshua 1:9  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 6:34  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Isaiah 43:1  “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

Psalm 34:4  “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalm 94:19  “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Romans 8:38-39  “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.”

1 Peter 5:6-7  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Psalm 118:6-7  “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?   The Lord is with me; he is my helper.  I look in triumph on my enemies.”

Psalm 115:11  “You who fear him, trust in the Lord—he is their help and shield.”

John 14:1  ““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”

1 Chronicles 28:20  “David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.”

Psalm 56:3-4  “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?”

Isaiah 41:10  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Matthew 10:28 -31  “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.   And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Romans 8:15  “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

1 Corinthians 16:13  “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

1 Peter 3:13-14  “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?  But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

1 John 4:18  “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Philippians 4:6-7  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Luke 12:22-26  “Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”

Psalm 55:22  “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Mark 6:48-50  “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.  Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Psalm 46:1  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Proverbs 29:25  “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”

Mark 4:39-40  “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Psalm 34:7  “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”

Deuteronomy 3:22  “ Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

Revelation 1:17  “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”

Mark 5:36  “Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Zephaniah 3:17  “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Psalm 91:1-16  “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.   A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.  If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.   “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Deuteronomy 5:5-6  “ (At that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Isaiah 12:2  “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 8:11-12  “This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people:  “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.”

Matthew 14:27  “But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage!  It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9  “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Revelation 21:3-4  “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Philippians 4:8-9  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Lynn

My husband has a favorite expression that he likes to repeat, “Don’t sweat the small stuff!” and then he adds, “Everything is small stuff” and then I always tack on, “In God’s eyes.”

How true!  When I am unable, He is able.  When I am weak, He is strong.  When I feel burdened I need only to cast my burdens on Him.  God can handle anything, why is it then that I continue to worry and fret?

My children would call it a “Mom thing” to worry.  Perhaps they are right.  It’s my perogative to wonder and worry about them especially when they have a car and can go wherever they like.  I have great kids.  I trust my kids (although sometimes they doubt that when I am constantly grilling them the “who, what, where” questions.)  I thought I’d worry less now that they are young adults.  I was wrong.  I think about them constantly and pray they are remembering all the things we tried to teach them as they were growing up.  When I know they are struggling, I want to rush in and “save” them, but I’m reminded time and time again that it’s not up to me to do that.  They have to make their own way and they have to discover for themselves how they fit into God’s story.  Still I worry.  It’s a “mom thing”.

My husband is calm and composed, if he worries, he seldom shows it.  I know his burdens because he shares them with me.  Perhaps he knows that I will worry enough for the both of us so he doesn’t need to.  Maybe that’s a “wife thing”.

Philippians 4: 6-7 has always been a worrisome scripture for me. : “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”   Yeah, I said it,… “worrisome”!  I’m worrying over a scripture that says “do not be anxious”…that’s definitely a “Lynn thing”!

But it does worry me because try as I might to NOT worry, I still do!  The Gospels outline several circumstances in Jesus’ life where He was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled”…in other words, Jesus worried!  John 11:33 (after Lazarus’ death); Matthew 26:36-38, and Mark 14:32-34 (in the Garden of Gethsemane); John 12:27 (after Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem) and John 13:21 (The Last Supper).  Especially the Gospel of John, chapters 11-13, is like a “trilogy of trouble” for Jesus, from the death of his beloved friend Lazarus, the plot to kill Jesus, Jesus’ predicting His own death, predicting His own betrayal and predicting that Peter would deny Him,  Jesus had good reason to be troubled (worried).  Yet amazingly the opening line of John 14 Jesus speaks these words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled…”   Wow!

In His humanity Jesus did worry but unlike most humans He did not let worry overwhelm Him.  He did not run away or avoid a troubling or worrisome experience.  He faced the experience with boldness and courage even though He knew that He would suffer great pain and even death.  Jesus was focused.  He knew that the worries of this world would be shortlived and His eyes were fixed on eternity.  When He was troubled, He practiced what He preached: He made his requests known to His Father through prayer and thanksgiving and He was comforted and at peace.

I can’t help but think on the lyrics of this great hymn today:

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.”

I won’t sweat the small stuff because I know everything is small stuff in God’s eyes.

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Finding Joy NOT Happiness in the Lord (6)

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Lynn

finding-joy-not-happiness-in-the-lord-6Today we end our series on Finding Joy NOT Happiness in the Lord.  I pray that this six-part series has touched your heart in some way and has indeed brought you closer to finding JOY in the Lord.

We talked a little bit about practical ways to find that lasting Joy last time.  Today we continue with talking about the importance of finding joy through Worship, Trials, Friendship, Attitude, Gratitude and having a Servant’s heart.

Worship Unleashes Joy.

  1. Worship has a special relationship to Joy.  It is both a key to joy and an expression of joy.  (1 Thess. 5:16-18).  If you want to be joyful always, you must also worship God and give Him thanks always.  When you worship, it gets your mind off of yourself and your focus is directed towards God where it should be.

(When I was too sick to come to church, basically I could barely get out of bed, the worship team came to me.  I have pictures of the team sitting in my living room, playing guitar and singing hymns and choruses of praise.  I could hardly sing myself; I sat in my P-J’s with my little knitted cap on my head to hide my baldness and they sang for me.  It really lifted my spirits, as well as take the focus off my circumstances and focus on God!)

Worship doesn’t mean just going to a Worship Service once a week.  Worship is praising God continually.  Do you praise the Lord when you are comfortably enjoying the light, cool rains of blessing or do you praise Him even in the dry, difficult times?  Your answer to these questions will determine whether you live in joy most of the time, sometimes, or hardly ever.  It’s a choice you make to worship.

Trials Build Joy.

  1. “While pain is unavoidable, misery is optional.”  God may not remove your problems, but when you are focused on Him, the problems are less ominous as compared to His greatness.  Joy doesn’t come from easy circumstances, but from a deep, settled confidence in our loving Heavenly Father who controls life’s details.

Here are some steps to help you find joy in your trials:

  1. Focus your eyes on God, rather than on your problems or circumstances.  (Heb. 12:2)  When our minds mull over our situations, we can become depressed, angry or full of self-pity.  Look to God and He will fill you with JOY.
  2. Pray about your situation and prayerfully sort out your feelings.  (Phil.4:6-7)
  3. Trust God to handle your situation and wait for Him to work. (Psalm 33:21)
  4. Choose to rejoice in the Lord…ALWAYS. (Phil. 4:4)  Joy is not a feeling, it’s an attitude that requires a constant choice.
  5. Find a friend so you can talk, share your feelings and pray. (2 Cor. 7:4-13).

There came a point in my recovery where I just needed to talk to someone else who had “been there, done that”.  Sometimes we just need someone we can talk to for mutual support and God knew I needed a confidante who empathized with what I was going through but would also point me towards God through the experience.  God connected me with a strong and courageous woman at my church who had battled breast cancer several years before me.  We became dear, dear friends as she shared her experiences with me and could relate to what I was going through.  Years later, she developed cancer again and this time I was able to be HER support.  Unfortunately, cancer finally claimed her life but she was praising God even until her last breath.  When I wrote my second book, Heal the Wounded, I dedicated the book to my mother, Ellen, my mother-in-law, Laura, and to my friend, Victoria – all courageous women who had “fought the good fight” with breast cancer.

Friendships Increase Joy.

  1. Someone said, “When you share pain with someone you divide it, but when you share joy, you multiply it.”  God designed us to receive joy through our relationships.  Friends should never replace our total dependency on God. (Ps. 73:25, 1 Thess. 2:20).  Remember that if you hold resentment against someone that will pulverize joy…you need to ask forgiveness and give forgiveness.

How do you give and receive joy in relationships with friends and family?

  1. Share deeply from your heart with one another.
  2. Really listen to one another with your heart.
  3. Pray together often.
  4. Discover creative ways to encourage each other.
  5. Have fun together.

Joy is like good food.  It tastes better when shared around a table that overflows with love.

An Attitude Check Unbinds Joy.

  1. Do insecurities rob you of some joy?  These insecurities may have built up over many years even since childhood.  There may be things in your past that have caused you to be in bondage and you need to break those chains in order to be joyful.  Becoming a joyful person involves looking inside and understanding oneself.   It means dealing with destructive attitudes which rob us of joy, and then building healthy attitudes.

How do we change our attitudes and get rid of our insecurities?

  1. Accept yourself and others as God’s unique creations, perfectly and wonderfully made.  (Psalm 139:14).
  2. Recognize that no one bubbles over with joy every minute of every day.  Allow yourself some “down” time without any guilt, but present your “downs” to God so He can deal with them and not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by them.  (Remember the Devil’s D’s).   Many things can temporarily hinder us from choosing joy: physical problems, stress, disappointment, depression, anxiety or overwhelming grief.  Choosing to rejoice can keep our feelings from taking control.  Paul experienced great emotional pain in his life.  2 Corinthians describes some of his struggles.  Paul found the strength to rejoice because he fixed his eyes on what was unseen – Jesus and His work. (2 Cor. 4:18).

If you are struggling with a lack of joy, it may be because you are carrying burdens that God wants you to discard.  Heb. 12:1 states:  “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

  1. Have personal freedom to rejoice.  Do you need permission to be joyful?

Christ died to give us joy!  Do not hold on to past sins etc. that you have repented from.  Also watch the company you keep…are you surrounded by joyless people…you know the “Eeyores” in life?…joyless people rob us of joy too.  If you are overwhelmed by world circumstances or worry, take a “worry retreat”.  Go for a walk, listen to uplifting praise hymns, play a game, read a book, take a bubble bath, turn off the news….etc.  Hug on your grandbaby … just had to throw that one in there 🙂

Gratitude Encourages Joy.

  1. Like worship, gratitude has a special connection with joy. (Zeph. 3:17).  A godly response when we’re joyful is to express gratitude to the Lord for His goodness.  Joy often creates gratitude.  But the opposite is also true, gratitude creates joy.  When we give God thanks, He gives us joy.  When situations snatch away our joy, we feel like doing anything except thanking God, but that’s exactly what we need to do.  Our thanks must come out of a heart of genuine gratitude to Him, regardless of our immediate feelings.  God then responds by filling our hearts with His joy.

The Key to Lasting Joy is choosing to be a Servant of Jesus Christ.

  1. The child of God who has committed to being the Lord’s servant will hear a CLEAR call, lead a CLEAN life, proclaim a COURAGEOUS message and have a CHALLENGING purpose.  This is the heart of what it means to be a servant of God.

The life of a servant is the willingness to be God’s person right where you are in the tasks and relationships that are already the substance of your life:  soccer Mom, Sunday School Teacher, Volunteer in your child’s classroom, Grandmother, Wife, Corporate Executive….

Servanthood is more a matter of attitude than action, that God wants our availability more than our talent, and that for most of us servanthood means faithfulness in the ordinary affairs of everyday living.

Servanthood will be demonstrated in the way a person lives, different ways for different people.  Just as God’s call to salvation is unique and personal, so is His call to service.  Paul addresses this issue in 1 Cor. 12:14-31.  You should not expect everyone, including other believers, to be like you in every way, nor should they demand that you be like them.  Each servant of God has a clear call, but that call is different for each of us.  One way we can see the difference in calls to service is in the different gifts that He has given to us by His Spirit for the proper functioning of the church.  Different people have different gifts and as a servant it is important to discern what spiritual gifts you may have and develop them in His service.  Remember though that God may give you an assignment that is way out of your comfort zone or not any where near your realm of giftedness and He will equip you for the task.  The idea is that we must be willing to say “Yes” to God no matter what He may ask of us.  You must have settled in your mind that you will say, “Yes, Lord” before He even asks.

Being a Godly Servant means:

  1. Clear Call: He calls us all to serve and He calls us uniquely as individuals.  We minister in His strength (not on our own), so we can rely on His strength to overcome obstacles and give Him the glory He deserves.
  2. Clean Life:  As His servants we are to live clean, Holy lives.  We must look at the importance of what we allow into our minds and what we dwell on.  Remember: garbage in – garbage out.
  3. Courageous Message:  God calls His servants to proclaim a courageous message.  He wants us to speak boldly on His behalf.
  4. Challenging Purpose:  God gives us a challenging purpose – that of being involved in reaching out to people everywhere with the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  There are rewards in heaven if we are His faithful servants (1 Cor.9:24-25) but that should not be our motivation.  We are servants because we love God and we long to hear at the end of our life time these words:“Well done, good and faithful servant…now enter into the JOY of your Lord.”  (Matt. 25:21)  That’s lasting JOY!

(Much of this practical advice comes directly from two books The Key to Lasting Joy by T.W. Wilson and Unlocking the Door to Joy by Ken L. Williams.  Read them….they will bless your lives!)

(*This blog series was first published by Lynn Dove in April/May 2012.)

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