Sunday, August 22, 2021

When Fear and Anxiety Tried To Grip Me

  For those of you who are new here in the last month, every Sunday I “normally” write a Sunday faith post over on Instagram that I call #EmilysPinkPosts.  Why do I call them that?  The reason being is that I filter the picture for the post with a shade of pink so that when people see my IG grid they can quickly see the faith posts.   It’s been a month or so since I have written an Emilys Pink Post  We took a three week break and went back home to Indiana where we spent that time at my sister and brother in law’s lake house and then the day we arrived home Jordan was 6 days being sick.  The following month was filled with one week caring for him, then having in the hospital for 7 days after that and then now these last two weeks helping him recover here at home.  So, here I am today writing one now that things have calmed down a bit.


Starting today and for the following two Sunday’s I am going to a 3 part series where I share three verses from the Bible that helped me over this last month.  I am writing this not only to share with you but also as a reminder for me to look back at so when I go through something like this again I can go back and read them over and over again as a reminder to myself.

When we got the news that Jordan was sick I felt my heart sink to the floor.  The last thing you want is for one of your family members to be sick especially with the evil virus.  I could feel my emotions start to go all over the place - worry, fear, stress, anxiety started to fill my mind but then I immediately start praying Psalm 56:3 which says, “When I am afraid I put my trust in You.”  

Psalm 56 was written by David while he was running for his life from evil King Saul and his army. He lived each day wondering if that might be the day that someone would kill him.  Yet, more than once in this psalm he says, “I shall not be afraid”  You have to ask yourself how could he even say that when he was running for his life?  The reason why David could face horrific terrifying trials and tribulations was that he knew where and who to turn to in those times.  So, he cries out, “When I am afraid I will put my trust in You!”  Let’s break down the verse.  When he says, “I am afraid” he is acknowledging that the fear is real.  He isn’t denying he is afraid or fearful but he doesn’t stay there for long for he goes on to say that even though he is afraid he is putting his trust in God to see him through. He’s tell us that he knows where to turn to when he is afraid  . . .right to the Lord. This is where he goes from “I am afraid” to “I will not be afraid.”  How did he go from one to the other? Psalm 56:4 tell us  - “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.”  David gets from one to the other by putting his trust in God and instead of praying “‘prayers of hope” he took the fear, stress and worry and prayed specific promises of God written in the word which is what he hung on to and confessed.

So, that day when worry, stress, fear and anxiety tried to grip me I shifted my thoughts and started to pray Psalm 56:3-4.  Confessing and praying the promises of God brought peace, comfort and strength to see the battle through. So the next time fear tries to grip you or come your way, and they will,  you will know where to turn to.  Turn to the One who can fill you with a peace that surpasses all understanding and who said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33).   We, like David, can say, “I shall not be afraid.  

Have a blessed day!
Emily




1 comment:

  1. Thanks for sharing! This is so helpful! Somehow I’ve been missing your blogs.

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