How do we avoid allowing fear to take hold of us when we are faced with trials or the threats of the enemy. How do we avoid becoming discouraged and depressed?
1. TRUST in the Lord. He always has a plan and He always has the last word in every situation. Psalm 112:8 says …in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
Psalm 112:6-8
6Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
7They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
Between where we are today and our final victory there will be attempts by the enemy to destabilise us but if we trust in the Lord, we can remain steadfast and secure knowing that the final outcome is triumph!
2. ABIDE in Jesus. Keep close to Jesus, keep speaking to Him and listening to Him, He will keep you safe and He will make you fruitful.
Psalm 27:4-5
4One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
John 15:5
5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
3. PRAISE the Lord. Praise wins battles.
2 Chronicles 20:22
As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
Genesis 49:8
“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you.
Judah means praise! Praise will cause your enemies to be defeated.
4. REMEMBER the benefits of knowing the Lord!
Psalm 103:2-4
2Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits–
3who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
5. FORGET past hurts and failures that lie behind that we cannot change.
Philippians 3:13b-14
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
6. RUN to get the prize. Don’t stop. Keep going. Persevere.
1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Hebrews 12:1
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
7. FIX YOUR EYES on JESUS so you don’t grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
8. FOCUS on your calling. It is God’s job to change hearts not ours. Our part is being obedient to what He calls us to do. The apostle Paul said this:
1 Corinthians 3:5-9
5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour. 9For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.