Focus on God, Not on Fear
The more time you spend with God, the more God will dispel any fear that tries to take hold of your heart. Remember, the Lord is your light and your salvation, so you never need to be afraid!
“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?” –Psalm 27:1
As believers, our focus should not be on fear, but on God. God’s light is much more powerful than any darkness we encounter.
The world may try to draw us into a mindset of fear, but Psalm 27:1 offers a powerful reminder that we don’t need to fear anything or anyone, because God is our stronghold.
King David, who wrote those words while inspired by the Holy Spirit, was no stranger to scary situations. He faced real dangers from enemies who tried to kill him, yet his response was not to dwell on those fears, but to proclaim confidence in God’s protection. David declared: “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?” This is a call to shift our focus from the things that frighten us, to the One who is greater than all our fears.
When our fallen world encourages us to be entertained by fear, we have the opportunity to choose a different path. Instead of allowing fear to take root in our hearts, we can focus on the truth that God is our stronghold. That means we can trust our all-powerful God to give us strength in all situations. Fear is a powerful emotion, but it’s not stronger than the power of God.
When we allow fear to dominate our thoughts, it can paralyze us and keep us from living the thriving lives God wants us to live. However, when we focus on God, we remember that God is in control, that God is with us, and that God is for us. No matter what circumstances we face, we can be confident in the assurance the Bible gives us in Psalm 27:1. God is our light, guiding us through even the darkest circumstances. God is our salvation, delivering us from the condemnation that sin placed on us. Remember, greater is He that is in us, then he (Satan) that is in the world. 1 John 4:4
During October – and every day of the year – we would be wise to consider how we can shift our focus away from fear, towards God. Instead of getting caught up in fear, we can spend time with God in prayer, meditation, reading our Bible and focusing on the Lord. The more time we spend with God, the more God will dispel any fear that tries to take hold of our heart. The Lord is our light and salvation, so we need not be afraid.
"You shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3
We can focus on God, rather than on fear when we feel afraid, and bring all our fears before God in prayer. Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past, helps us trust God in the present. He will see us through once again, as we shift our focus from fear, to God, throughout our day. Meditating on God’s Word, helps relieve our minds from fear. Perfect love casts out fear, and God and His love, are perfect.
O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the cares of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.
His word shall not fail you, he promised
Believe him and all will be well
Then go to a world that is dying
His perfect salvation to tell.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.
O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.
