Fear and Rest

Psalm 91:1 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

This week begins the newest (in)courage Bloom book study of Angie Smith's new book "What Women Fear". I must admit, by the title alone I wasn't so compelled to dive in, but as I got to thinking about it I realized that I've got many fears in my life. I've just learned to live with them, to waltz around them as though the elephant under the rug is supposed to be there. That is not the freedom that Jesus offers!

I don't rest in Him, wholly and completely, when I just ignore the things that stir in my gut. Do y'all have fears that have just become part of your normal? A very real example in my life of how fear and rest don't go together is my fear of the dark.

I was fifteen when I became afraid of the dark. I remember lying in my bed on that November night of my sophomore year in high school. Blankets up to my chin, the black in my room was the first place I felt alone. That night I can still recall a growing fear in my gut for the unknown.

Our world had just been rocked, and I can still see my ceiling if I close my eyes. Thinking how everything had changed in an instant, a letter. And the darkness was the place I realized that he wasn't. I knew my mom was downstairs, and I knew I was safe, but I was by myself, beside myself. The unseen seemed to characterize what I was feeling~ worried, uncertain, without defined boundaries.

So I learned to live with this fear by leaving lights on. By checking and double-checking locks. By staying awake until I was so exhausted that I would pass out upon my head hitting the pillow. I would sleep, but this wasn't rest!

"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all"

1 John 1:5

Psalm 91:14 says "'Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him for he acknowledges my name.'" Learning that I can turn the light out and trust God to control my circumstances has led to peace. With this comfort I can lay my head down and experience true rest. I don't want to simply live with my fear... I want to let God take it!

So what are you afraid of? Are you willing to let it go and trust that God wants you to experience wholeness and freedom? The study starts today, but it's not too late to grab a copy of the book and dive in! You are welcome to jump over there by clicking the button on my sidebar.