Silas
Beloved of All
Your cry for help has been heard and I am praying for you right now in your fear and in that feeling of being trapped with no way out.
That helpless feeling where you cannot see any possible way out of the problem is something Scripture speaks about honestly. The prophet Jeremiah described it as being walled in with hewn stone, hedged around so that every path seemed crooked and closed. If you feel that way today, you are not alone in that experience, and God does not turn away from an honest cry.
I want to gently point you to what will steady you. The Bible teaches that the beginning and the sum of true knowledge and wisdom is the reverent fear of the Lord. That fear is not a phobia or a terror that God wants to hurt you. It is awe before who He is, His greatness and His power and His love, and because of that awe we learn to love what He loves and to hate what He hates. To fear the Lord is to depart from evil, and that turning away is understanding. When that reverence is in our hearts, we want not to hurt Him because we love Him and have come to appreciate His love for us.
Scripture also shows that there are two very different kinds of fear. One is this holy reverence that leads to life. The other is the dread of circumstances, of people, of what might happen next. That second kind of fear is often used to weaken faith, and fear and faith cannot rule the heart at the same time. Where fear is allowed to take over, faith departs, and where faith and confidence in God are strong, fear loses its hold.
The cure for that second fear is to remember the Lord. David said that even when he walked through the valley of death he would fear no evil because the Lord was with him. When Nehemiah and the people were threatened, the counsel was not to react out of panic but to remember God, for greater is He who is with His people than any threat against them. Fear makes us look at the size of the problem. Remembering the Lord makes us look at the size of our God. We can still do what is wise and prudent, but we do not need to be driven by dread.
God has also provided deliverance through redemption in Jesus Christ. That is the song of those who have been set free from the power of darkness. Whatever has entangled you, Jesus is willing and able to cleanse and to deliver, and to make a way where you see no way. If there is any part of your situation that involves sin or choices that go against His ways, the kindest and safest step is to turn from it completely, to hate the evil and to walk away from it, trusting Him to forgive and to lead you into what is right. If you are in danger or in a situation that feels unsafe, please reach out right away for help from a trusted pastor, counselor, or other safe help near you, and do not stay isolated.
Do not wait to seek Him. Scripture warns that those who despise wisdom and refuse the fear of the Lord will at last call but find no answer when distress comes like a whirlwind. But it also promises that the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being taken when you trust Him. You can call on Him now.
I am praying for you like this: Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift up this dear one who is scared and feels trapped. Let Your presence be known right now. Replace fear with faith as they remember You and Your power and Your nearness. Give wisdom to see the right next step, courage to depart from anything that is evil or harmful, and faith to trust You for deliverance. Surround them with help, with wise counsel, and with Your peace that guards heart and mind. Show them that You are with them and that You make a way. Amen.
Please keep reaching out. Keep looking to the Lord, keep opening His Word, and keep letting others pray with you and walk with you.
That helpless feeling where you cannot see any possible way out of the problem is something Scripture speaks about honestly. The prophet Jeremiah described it as being walled in with hewn stone, hedged around so that every path seemed crooked and closed. If you feel that way today, you are not alone in that experience, and God does not turn away from an honest cry.
I want to gently point you to what will steady you. The Bible teaches that the beginning and the sum of true knowledge and wisdom is the reverent fear of the Lord. That fear is not a phobia or a terror that God wants to hurt you. It is awe before who He is, His greatness and His power and His love, and because of that awe we learn to love what He loves and to hate what He hates. To fear the Lord is to depart from evil, and that turning away is understanding. When that reverence is in our hearts, we want not to hurt Him because we love Him and have come to appreciate His love for us.
Scripture also shows that there are two very different kinds of fear. One is this holy reverence that leads to life. The other is the dread of circumstances, of people, of what might happen next. That second kind of fear is often used to weaken faith, and fear and faith cannot rule the heart at the same time. Where fear is allowed to take over, faith departs, and where faith and confidence in God are strong, fear loses its hold.
The cure for that second fear is to remember the Lord. David said that even when he walked through the valley of death he would fear no evil because the Lord was with him. When Nehemiah and the people were threatened, the counsel was not to react out of panic but to remember God, for greater is He who is with His people than any threat against them. Fear makes us look at the size of the problem. Remembering the Lord makes us look at the size of our God. We can still do what is wise and prudent, but we do not need to be driven by dread.
God has also provided deliverance through redemption in Jesus Christ. That is the song of those who have been set free from the power of darkness. Whatever has entangled you, Jesus is willing and able to cleanse and to deliver, and to make a way where you see no way. If there is any part of your situation that involves sin or choices that go against His ways, the kindest and safest step is to turn from it completely, to hate the evil and to walk away from it, trusting Him to forgive and to lead you into what is right. If you are in danger or in a situation that feels unsafe, please reach out right away for help from a trusted pastor, counselor, or other safe help near you, and do not stay isolated.
Do not wait to seek Him. Scripture warns that those who despise wisdom and refuse the fear of the Lord will at last call but find no answer when distress comes like a whirlwind. But it also promises that the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being taken when you trust Him. You can call on Him now.
I am praying for you like this: Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift up this dear one who is scared and feels trapped. Let Your presence be known right now. Replace fear with faith as they remember You and Your power and Your nearness. Give wisdom to see the right next step, courage to depart from anything that is evil or harmful, and faith to trust You for deliverance. Surround them with help, with wise counsel, and with Your peace that guards heart and mind. Show them that You are with them and that You make a way. Amen.
Please keep reaching out. Keep looking to the Lord, keep opening His Word, and keep letting others pray with you and walk with you.
