Here it is...way past my bedtime. I have to get up early tomorrow morning and work all day. Why can't I go to sleep, you ask? Oh, that's simple. Fear.
I know what you're going to tell me: Pray and rebuke the devil. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. And yet, here it is again. Rearing it's ugly head and what am I doing? Writing about it.
It's amazing how I can just write a blog about casting cares on God and here I am, an hour or so later, casting my cares on him (for the 2nd time tonight). But, how many of you know that God is always there? How many of you know that he'll be there for the 3rd cast, the 4th? Turn to your neighbor...I'm just playing. Please don't turn to your neighbor and say anything (except that they soooo need to read this awesome blog :} ).
Normally, when you look at things from a distance, they seem smaller. The closer you get to the object, the bigger it gets. Fear works exactly opposite of that. From a distance, fear is huge. It's intimidating and the more you think about approaching whatever it is that has you fearful, the more fearful you get. You muster up the courage to take a step and amazingly, the fear you had begins to subside. The closer you get, the smaller the fear gets until there is nothing there.
Pray, rebuke, sing, shout...do everything you need to do to prepare but, do know. You will absolutely need to confront whatever the issue is that has you fearful. What am I doing to confront what I'm feeling right now? Well, I first acknowledge that I'm feeling this way. Then, I prayed/rebuked the spirit of fear. Then, I'm talking/writing about it. Lastly, I'm finding scriptures that speak against the fear I'm feeling. Keep in mind that it's just that, a feeling. A fickly, finicky, flighty feeling. A here today, gone tomorrow feeling.
So with that, I leave you with an oldie but goodie.
God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.
~2 Timothy 1:7