Fears Relieved

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed.

(Amazing Grace, 2nd verse)

I am afraid of three things.  Well, actually I am afraid of a lot of things.  But there are three 'big' ones.

Small spaces.

The dark.

Heights.

I don't know why I am afraid of these things.  I can imagine why I might be afraid of the dark and I am not alone in that. (I think 'imagine' is the key word here.  It's not so much the dark we are afraid of, as much as what we 'imagine' is in the dark.) I have no clue why small spaces bother me.  And up until about age 6, I had NO fear of heights at all.  Maybe it had something to do with a long drop from a high tree house when I was 7.  Or my cousins leaving me up on top of a roof barn a couple of years after that. Ahem.

Whatever.

The point is I have fears.  And no matter how hard I try I can't "just get over them."

*sigh*  But I so wish I could.  I was lamenting this weakness recently, when I came across this:

He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;
My God turns my darkness into light.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.

~ Psalms 18:19. 28, 33

I was reading through Psalms 18 and had just gotten to the end when words on the page started popping out at me.  First it was "spacious place".  Then it was "darkness into light".  I started thinking about my 'big three' fears and thought "Hmmm, all He hasn't covered is heights."  But then I looked down again and there it was..."he enables me to stand on the heights."

He brings me out.
He rescues me.
He keeps my lamp burning.
He turns my darkness into light.
He enables me.

And once again, God's got it covered.

I don't have to "just get over it" but I just need to let God do his thing.  God tells us "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6, 7)

Do not be anxious.  Present your requests (cares, worries, fears) to him.  And his peace will guard, comfort and strengthen your heart.

You don't need to understand it - you can't because it transcends all understanding!  You just need to do it - and he will do the rest.


Amazing.

Amazing God.

Amazing grace.


How has God encouraged you through his Word lately? What are some of your 'big' fears?