“It is the message of my life that our mighty God will work through our difficult struggles in order to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ”

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The Key to Handling Fear

By Anita Kelly Couch

“Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go!” (Joshua 1:9)

Do you ever become overwhelmed as you look at all the suffering around you, from the floods and hurricanes on the Gulf Coast to the fires on the West Coast…to the war for freedom across the globe? Fear concerning the future can easily settle over you in these uncertain times.

As I read Joshua 1, I immediately notice that the Lord repeated His instruction numerous times to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous!” Why? Like you and I, Joshua evidently was battling some very strong feelings of fear and discouragement and needed some reminding! What does it mean to remain “strong and courageous” in the face of such tremendous despair? The first key is found in the incredible promise that God gave along with the instruction to be strong and courageous. He reassures us in verses 5 and 9 above of His never-ending presence: “I will be with you; I will not fail you nor forsake you”. (Josh.1: 5, 9b)

“I will not fail you nor forsake you…” Hidden here in the Hebrew is the idea of “relaxing the hand.” So here God is saying, “I will not relax My grip on you.” Isn’t that incredible that you are being held safely and strongly in the hands of an all-powerful God and that He will never relax His grip on you? As His children, we are being held in His hands! Nothing can enter our lives, unless it first passes through the fingers of God and through the fingers of His dear Son to reach you and me. By the time it reaches us, we can know it comes to us with another great promise: God Himself will cause ALL things to work together for our good and for His glory! (Romans 8: 28) Now with that assurance, God says, you be strong and courageous!

“Be strong and courageous” Hidden in the Hebrew word for strong is the idea of “being attached; bound.” In other words, God says, ‘I won’t let you go; now you hold on tight to Me and to My promises to You! I’m holding on to You; you hold on to Me! Be courageous! Don’t fall apart! Be “mentally and physically alert!” The enemy of your soul is roaming about seeking how he may defeat you with fear, depression and despair! (I Peter 5:8) How do I do that? In verse 8, we are given the next instruction:

“Meditate on God’s Word day and night” “To meditate” means that you literally mutter God’s Word out loud to yourself all day and all night long! Here’s your permission to talk to yourself! Despite your circumstances, despite your feelings, speak His powerful Word out loud! This certainly builds your faith stronger and stronger! In conclusion, there are two last instructions related to this in verse 9: “Do not tremble or be dismayed.” The enemy wants you to feel beaten down by discouragement, depression and despair. These are NEVER from the Lord!! Satan is a Master Deceiver which means he has an uncanny ability of convincing us that his lies are truth! Don’t let the enemy harass you and don’t panic! Satan has already been defeated! Yes, he is filled these days with fury, because he knows his time is short. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ” (2 Cor.2: 14a)!