I sat behind the wheel of my newly-bought car and could feel my heart pounding. I hadn’t driven in over ten years, and I was terrified. I faced a two-hour trip each way on narrow and winding country roads. Everything within me screamed to turn back, but I knew the only way to defeat this fear was to attack it head-on. I turned the ignition. 

The command not to be afraid is repeated 365 times in the Bible. The Lord knows we need to hear these words over and over again. But what exactly does He mean? Are we not to feel the emotion of fear? Of course not. Being frightened is a natural reaction to danger. 

I did an internet search of verses on fear, and a pattern jumped out at me. In every case, the reason given for not being afraid is linked to God Himself: His presence, His protection, His love, His salvation, and so on. This made me realize that the Lord’s command not to fear is really an invitation to trust Him. He wants us to look past our normal human emotions to the One who holds us in His hands. Only faith can defeat fear. 

It’s never so simple, of course. Choosing to trust and taking that step of faith when everything within us calls for the opposite is a constant struggle. But I have found that the more I do so in a particular area, the easier it gets – until the next problem, and I have to start all over again! 

In Psalm 34:4-7, we see this pattern clearly. David prays and turns to the Lord for help, and God is the one who sets him free from his fears. The Lord receives all the credit for the victory. 

When I went on that car trip, I had grabbed a bunch of sermon CDs to listen to on the way. I hadn’t looked at the titles. It turned out they all were on the topic of fear. I had to smile. I had stepped out in faith, and God helped me all the way.