How to Replace My Fear With Trust

In 2 Corinthians 1:10 it says, “He did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.” (NLT)

Sometimes the fears in my life can be loud, demanding my attention. But I can trust that God is with me and for me and is more powerful than whatever I’m afraid of.

When the apostle Paul was in a frightening situation, he chose to trust God instead of giving in to his fear. When he did, here’s what he found to be true about God: “He did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us” (2 Corinthians 1:10 NLT).

Like Paul, I have a choice. I can also choose to believe God is watching over me, choose to trust him, and choose not to give in to my fears.

God promises believers that, no matter what happens to us, he is working for our good—if we love him and follow him: “Now we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 TLV). As a believer, God promises all things are working together for good—not that all things are good but that they are working together for good.

That means I can stop listening to my fears because there is no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in the life of a believer that God can’t ultimately get some good out of. There is no need to fear the future.

My fears reveal where I do not trust God. So, today, make a list of my fears and ask God to help me identify the reason I have them. Then ask him to help me replace my fears with trust.

Now, this is important: Expect God to start helping me learn to trust him with each fear. Then, watch to see how he does help.

In summary of this part of 2 Corinthians, Paul had said that under the many difficult trials they faced, they felt that they were going to die and realized that they could do nothing to help themselves-they simply had to rely on God. I know that I often depend too much on my own skills and abilities when life seems easy and only turn to God when I feel unable to help myself. But as I realize my own powerlessness without him and my need for his constant help in life, I should come to depend on him more and more. God should be my source of power, and I will receive his help by keeping in touch with him. With an attitude of dependence, problems will drive us to God rather than away from him. So I need to learn how to rely on God daily.

In my life I hesitate and almost fear making a direct phone call and speaking to someone without it already planned, such as in a conference call. In this I don’t give having trust in God to provide a source of power to overcome it. I have seen many ways where God has come through with other fears I’ve had, so I should come to rely and trust in him in this area as well. 

Don’t Give Up!

In Hebrews 11:39-40 it says, “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.” (NLT)

It’s not easy to live by faith. We live in a broken world. The weather doesn’t work right. Our bodies don’t work right. Our relationships don’t work right.

As Adam was leaving the Garden of Eden, God told him that life would be hard—and it is. There’s a cosmic battle for life going on inside and outside of me. I battle with my own sinful nature. I also battle against Satan himself, who wants nothing more than to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10 NLT).

And, sometimes, it just gets to me. I want to give up.

But in Hebrews 11, God urges me to hang on in faith because he hasn’t forgotten me, and he will fulfill his promises. He promises to give me a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). He promises to take away my tears (Revelation 7:17). And he gives me many other promises throughout his Word.

Hebrews 11 mentions a long list of biblical heroes who demonstrated faith in God’s promises: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, and others. Though they endured difficulties, they kept going on their spiritual journeys.

Hebrews 11:39-40 says, “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us” (NLT).

So when I feel like giving up, I need to do more than just hang on. Believe and trust in God’s faithfulness to keep his promises. And remember that God isn’t limited by my time on Earth to fulfill his promises. He has all of eternity to keep his Word.

I need to let those promises give me hope for all that God is doing in and for me—even when it’s tough.

Living by faith involves pain. If I give up when life isn’t going well, I’ll never learn to trust God. I think this is because giving up short circuits his growth process for me. It’s easy to love God and serve him when life is going well. What can I do to trust him when it’s not going well? I need to look back at what He has done in my life up to now! I need to look at His promises in scripture and the examples of others that illustrate this. One of God’s promises that encourages me is from Galatians 6:9 (CEV/DCI) “Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up.” 

God Is the Door to Freedom

In John 10:9 I read, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” (ESV)

I don’t need to be behind bars to be in prison. Why? Because the most common prison is in the mind.

A relationship can be a prison when it makes me feel trapped. Debt can be a suffocating prison that I don’t think I’ll ever escape. A tradition can be a prison because it confines me and doesn’t let me embrace the freedom God wants me to have. A painful memory can lock me behind steel doors of pain. Depression, fatigue, and shame can also be prisons.

The good news is that God wants to break me out!

God wants me to be free. When he opens doors, they’re pathways to something good. But before God can get me to where he wants me to go, he has to get me out of the prisons I’m in.

How does he do it?

First, he shakes things up. When Paul and his friends were in prison in Acts 16, God brought about an earthquake. Sometimes God has to shake my foundations—particularly my foundational beliefs—to get me out of prison, too. He’ll send an earthquake into my life to shake up those beliefs so I’m ready for the freedom he wants to give me.

Second, he plugs me into the power of the resurrection. That’s what Easter is all about. Jesus’ resurrection is the most powerful event in history. God makes that power available to me every day.

Paul says in Ephesians 1:19-20, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (NLT).

The same power that opened Jesus’ tomb will open the prison doors that are holding me back. That’s real freedom! I just have to believe and trust God to provide for me in this way.

Over the next few studies, I’ll look at three specific ways that Jesus wants to bring me freedom.

In summary, I don’t need to be behind bars to be in prison. The most common prison is in the mind. A relationship can be a prison when it makes me feel trapped. Debt can be a suffocating prison that I don’t think I’ll ever escape. A tradition can be a prison because it confines me. A painful memory can lock me behind steel doors of pain. Depression, fatigue, and shame can also be prisons. The good news is that God wants to break me out!  God wants me to be free. When he opens doors, they’re pathways to something good. But before God can get me to where he wants me to go, he has to get me out of the prison I’m in. To do so first, he shakes things up. When Paul and his friends were in prison in Acts 16, God brought about an earthquake. Sometimes God has to shake my foundations—particularly my foundational beliefs. He’ll send an earthquake into my life to shake up those beliefs. Second, he plugs me into the power of the resurrection. That’s what Easter is all about. Jesus’ resurrection is the most powerful event in history. God makes that power available to me every day. The same power that opened Jesus’ tomb will open the prison doors that are holding me back. I just have to believe and trust God to provide for me in this way.

In the sheepfold, the shepherd functioned as a gate, letting the sheep in and protecting them. Jesus is the gate to God's salvation for me. He offers access to safety and security. Christ is our protector. Some people resent that Jesus is the gate, the only way of access to God. But Jesus is God's son, why should I (we) seek any other way or want to customize a different approach to God? 

To Get Healing, Ask God for Help

In John 16:23-24 I read, “Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (NIV)

If I need something in my life healed or restored, I need to first humble myself and then admit I’m not in control. I can’t do it on my own!

Then ask God for help. How do I do that? “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face . . . then I will hear from heaven” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).

I’m not waiting on God. He’s always been waiting on me! Whatever I’ve wanted restored in my life, I need to be praying about it. Have I asked God for that kind of help? He is waiting for me to ask. And he knows even better than I do what I need.

A lot of people know they should pray for healing in their mind or their body or their marriage. But they don’t know how to pray.

“Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:23-24 NIV).

That verse tells me how to pray for healing:

Remember Jesus wants me to ask. God wants me to ask for anything in prayer because that’s the only way I’m going to learn how to trust him.

Ask in Jesus’ name. In other words, ask on the basis of what Jesus did on the cross. He paid for everything I needed. There is power in Jesus’ name because it carries the full weight of God’s grace and redemptive love.

Keep on praying till God tells me to stop. Don’t pray one time and say, “Well, forget that.” Keep praying, believing God’s timing is perfect. God is responsible for the answer. I’m responsible to ask.

Joy does not come from getting what I ask God for. Joy comes in asking, believing, and thanking God, however he answers. Joy comes from trusting God to use my pain to make me more like him, knowing I will one day be fully restored with him in heaven.

Pray, remembering these three things. Even in my pain, God will give me more joy in the journey of following him than I could ever imagine!

In summary, the Father will give me whatever I ask in Jesus’ name. Ask and I'll receive, and your joy will be complete. If I need something healed or restored, I need to first humble myself and then admit I’m not in control. Then ask God for help. I’m not waiting on God. He’s always been waiting on me! He is waiting for me to ask. And he knows even better than I do what I need. Remember Jesus wants me to ask. God wants me to ask for anything in prayer because that’s the only way I’m going to learn how to trust him. Ask in Jesus’ name. Ask on the basis of what Jesus did on the cross. He paid for everything I needed. There is power in Jesus’ name because it carries the full weight of God’s grace and redemptive love. Keep on praying till God tells me to stop. Don’t pray one time and say, “Well, forget that.” Believe that God’s timing is perfect. God is responsible for the answer. I’m responsible to ask. Joy does not come from getting what I ask God for. Joy comes in asking, believing, and thanking God, however he answers. Joy comes from trusting God to use my pain to make me more like him, knowing I will one day be fully restored with him in heaven. Even in my pain, God will give me more joy in the journey of following him than I could ever imagine!

Jesus was talking about a new relationship between the believer and God. Previously, people approached God through priests. After Jesus' resurrection, any believer could approach God directly. A new day has dawned and now all believers are priests, talking with God personally and directly. I can approach God, not because of my own merit, but because Jesus, my great High Priest, has made me acceptable to God.

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in others lives (including my job.) I pray all these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.