I’m not a huge “Star Wars” fan, but Yoda had a lot of wisdom.  The words he quotes in the image above, indicates exactly what fear can do to us.  It can cause us to think negatively, worry, lose our faith, physically make us ill and generally make our lives miserable. 

The Lord doesn’t want us to be afraid.  There are tons of references in the Bible regarding fear and assuring us that we need not fear anything if we join ourselves to the freedom He provides us.

Still we continue to fear things in our lives.  One of my fears is death by drowning on a large body of water.  I can’t even look at a picture of the Titanic without turning away.  I also have a fear of not being prepared – whether it’s for a part in a play and forgetting my lines; not having a class plan; not having my house in order; not making lunches for my children – even though they have been on their own for many years.

Fear can hold us back – it prevents us from doing something we might really enjoy – it can lead to dependence on something that helps us to temporarily forget about our fears – it can lead to erratic behavior and paranoia.  Fear is one of Satan’s more obvious tools and he doesn’t hesitate to use it. 

David used his Psalms to cry out to God for help in all areas of his life.  In many of them he refers to the fears he faced in his life.

Psalm 27:1 says,  “The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?”

Dear Lord, you are my life and salvation.  Without you, I am nothing,  Help me each day to rely on your strong arms to shield and protect me from the devil.  Surrounded by your protection, I can rest comfortably knowing that everything will be OK.  May I always turn to you in time of fear and know that you will be there for me.