When Fear Changes Sides
There are seasons when fear seems to have the upper hand. It disrupts our peace, clouds our thinking, keeps us awake at night, and convinces us that what we are facing is bigger than the God we serve.
But Isaiah 19 paints a dramatically different picture. Egypt—the nation that had once enslaved, intimidated, and terrified God’s people—would itself become afraid. The very thing that had produced fear would begin to experience fear.
It was time for fear to change sides.
Victory over fear does not begin by pretending we don’t feel it. Feelings are real, but they were never meant to become the foundation upon which we build our lives. When our emotions are overwhelmed, we need something stronger and more settled than how we feel in the moment. We need the Word of God.
Isaiah 12 declares, “God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid.” The order matters. God being our salvation is not dependent upon our emotions—it is a fact. Our response to that fact is, “I will trust.” Then Scripture says that with joy we draw water from the wells of salvation. Salvation is the well; joy is the bucket. We take our emotions and dip them into something that does not change.
We may not know what tomorrow holds. Headlines change. Circumstances change. Governments change. Our emotions go through a series of ups and downs even before breakfast. But the Word of God remains settled.
Hebrews 12 describes a shaking that ultimately reveals what cannot be shaken. That is why our confidence cannot rest in temporary things. When everything around us feels unsettled, we need something settled in us: “Thy word, O God, is forever settled in heaven.”
Fear may tell you there is no tomorrow. Fear may tempt you to isolate yourself from the very people God has placed around you. Fear may even cause you to run from the very thing you need. But fear does not get the final word.
God does.
So when fear rises, bring your thoughts back to what is true. God is still your salvation. God is still present. God is still faithful. His Word is still settled. And even in the middle of the trial, you do not have to trade your joy for fear.
It’s time for fear to change sides.
The thing that has intimidated you does not get to determine your future. Stand on what cannot be shaken, trust what God has spoken, and keep walking through the valley.
You are not staying there forever.
Family Worship Center | 1 Restoration Way, Plaster Rock NB | familyworship.ca
Recap of message by Pastor DR Mckillop
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