A Comforting Message in Fearful Times
KEY SCRIPTURES: Deuteronomy 31:8 | Psalm 4:8 | Psalm 16:7-8 | Psalm 23:4 | Psalm 27:1 | Psalm 32:7 | Psalm 94:19 | Psalm 121:1-8 | Psalm 138:3 | Psalm 138:7-8 | Psalm 139:3 | Psalm 139:23-24 | Proverbs 3:5-6 | Isaiah 41:10 | Isaiah 54:17 | John 3:16 | Philippians 4:6-7 | Philippians 4:19 | 1 John 1:9
SUMMARY
In times of fear and uncertainty, the best thing we can do is strengthen our faith with the reminder that God is with us.
This is especially crucial for the times in which we’re living. There is so much turmoil, anxiety, and pain. But the circumstances in our nation and world do not control our lives or determine our futures—God does. And the Lord is the One who fights for us. We focus on the promises of God to endure the trials before us but also overwhelmingly conquer through them.
Here are passages of Scripture we can cling to in even the most perplexing and distressing times we face for comfort and encouragement. As believers in Christ, we have both the right and the authority to claim them. They are our birthright, our treasure, and our spiritual armor.
Therefore, I encourage you to read these verses daily. They will become a shield to your thinking, emotions, and faith. You will find yourself becoming stronger, bolder, and more courageous in your life and daily walk with the Lord as you meditate on them and see how profoundly true they really are.
VERSES TO REMEMBER
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- Philippians 4:6–7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Psalm 16:7–8: I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
- Psalm 4:8: In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.
- Psalm 27:1: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
- Psalm 139:23–24: Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
- Psalm 138:3, 7–8: On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul . . . Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting.
- Philippians 4:19: My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
- Isaiah 41:10: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
- John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
- 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- Psalm 121:1–8: I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.
- Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.
- Psalm 32:7: You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.
- Psalm 94:19: When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.
Psalm 23:4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
- Psalm 139:3: You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
- Deuteronomy 31:8: The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
- Proverbs 3:5–6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
RESPONSE
The more God’s Word is in your mind and planted in your heart, the stronger and more unshakable you’re going to be. So when you hear bad news or are tempted to be afraid, read His promises. Trust them, and express your faith by thanking the Lord for His love, guidance, provision, and protection.
- Which verses are especially meaningful to you? Will you commit to memorizing them?
- Are you trusting the Lord with all your heart, or are there areas that you’re finding difficult to give to Him? Are you tempted to act in your strength and find your own solutions? If so, will you now release them to Him, knowing He promises to lead you with love, power, and wisdom?
- Whom could you encourage today with this truth from God’s Word?