Biblical Answers for Anxiety and Fear
The Biblical Principles of Fear
Fear is motivation to flee from danger.
Ignoring this gift can lead to disaster.
Unfortunately, many times this gift, which was given to us for our
good, can overwhelm us and bring negative consequences.
The New Testament Greek word Phobeo makes this clear since
its primary meaning is “ to put to flight by terrifying.”
When used as “the fear of God” it can also mean,
“to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential
obedience.” Fearing or trusting
God drives worldly fear from our lives.
Praising God in all of our circumstances, as an expression of our
faith that He will turn everything for our good (Rom 8:28), can help us
overcome our fears.
1.
Worldly fear opposes faith and is the result of not fully trusting God.
Matthew 8:26
And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he
arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:40
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no
faith?
Ro 8:15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Hebrews 13:6
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear
what man shall do unto me.
4. We should confront fear with the power of God, the love He has for us, and correct Biblical thinking. How we perceive a situation in our minds determines the emotions that we will experience. Emotions, including fear, are just “thermometers” of our perceptions about a specific situation. If we are afraid, it means we do not truly possess and trust God’s perfect love and concern for us. If we concentrate on God, we will perceive Him as more powerful and our fears will have to retreat.
2 Ti 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind.
1 Jo 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear
hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
5.
Sometimes fear must be overcome step-by-step.
An example of this strategy was used to conquer
Jericho, the city of fear.
This method has been called systematic desensitization.
Jos 6:3 And
ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city
once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
Jos 6:5 And it
shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn,
and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a
great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people
shall ascend up every man straight before him.
Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jessus.
Counseling Methods and Techniques
1.
Confronting fear is always the best policy.
When we run from our fears, they seem to get stronger.
This is because we have just added the agreement of our will and
actions to the thoughts that created the emotions of fear.
If instead, we confront our fears, we take a stand in our will,
mind, and actions that we will not allow them to rule over us.
2.
We can overcome difficult fears one step at a time.
In secular counseling, this process is called systematic
desensitization. In the Bible, we
are taught this method in the conquering of the city of Jericho. (Joshua 6)
The Children of Israel silently marched around the city of Jericho
for six days in order to strengthened their faith that they could conquer
the city. They then declared their
faith with a victory shout, and the walls of fear came tumbling down.
This method suggests slowly confronting our fears one step at a
time as we grow in confidence that the next step can be overcome.
As we progress step-by-step, we can eventually face our greatest
fear. Sometimes, this is done as a
mental process before it is acted out in the physical world.
A common example of this method in most of our lives was learning
to dive off the high diving board.
First, we overcome our fear of water by learning to swim.
Then we learned to jump off the side of the pool.
Later, we dove off of a low diving board until we had enough
confidence to jump off the high board.
3.
Fear can be overcome by focusing on God instead of
our problems. This method is
taught in the story of the exodus from Egypt, when God instructed Moses to
make a bronze snake on a pole. If
an Israelite, who had been bitten by a deadly snake, looked at the snake on
the pole; they were healed. (Num 21:8)
The snake on the pole represented Jesus taking our sin upon
Himself. When we focus on God, our
problems seem to get smaller. When
we focus on our problems, they and our fears increase.
4.
Experiencing the love of God casts out all fear.
One answer for dealing with fear is to develop a close personal
relationship with God. When, in
our intimate relationship with God, we realize that He really loves and
cares for us and that He will protect us, we are not so afraid of what will
happen to us.
5.
We can overcome anxiety by praising God in all
situations. When we do this,
we are acting on our faith that even in the current negative circumstances;
God will work everything for our good. (Romans 8:28)
Our praise is an outward expression of our faith, and it helps us
focus on the greatness of God.
Praising God, as an expression of faith, breaks the power of fear and
anxiety and will help us face our circumstances positively.
It is declaring the truth of Romans 8:18,
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
6. Anxiety disorders are generalized fears. The source of these fears must be discovered in order to deal with them effectively. The core issue is a perception that life is threatening in some aspect. If a person has been anxious all of their life, the precipitating problem possibly comes from childhood experiences or learned perceptions about life. If the anxiety began at a particular point in the client’s life, a particular event can usually be identified that significantly influenced how the client now views his life. In order to alleviate the anxiety, the way the client views his situation must be changed from fear to faith in God to protect him. The client must trust God in order to face his fear. (See the plan for overcoming an anxiety disorder later in this book.)
9.
A series of fearful reactions caused by past experiences of
extreme trauma is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The person may have flash backs, fearful
reactions, and continue to be traumatized by the events even years after
they have occurred. The experience
dramatically affects how the person thinks and feels about life.
Faith must be applied to these past experiences so that they may
be healed and so that they will no longer affect the current life of the
client. Theophostic Ministry
(Smith, 1996) is usually the most effective intervention because it is the
emotions that accompany the past experiences themselves that must be
modified.
10.
Obsessions are an attempt to feel in control.
A milder form of obsession is worry.
Both of these are an attempt to feel in control of a situation by
focusing our thoughts on the situation.
Unfortunately, when we think about our problems they usually
become more significant in our minds.
When we perceive them as larger, we have even more to worry or obsess
about. Consequently, our problems
grow. The answer is to focus more
on the solution to our problems and on our faith in God.
11.
Compulsions are an attempt to compensate for obsessions that feel out of
control. Compulsions are an
attempt to make ourselves feel that we are in control when we are actually
feeling out of control and insecure, by trying to over-control some other
aspect of our lives. As an
example, we might feel compelled to check that the front door is locked
numerous times before we can feel secure in the house.
In this case we may be trying to compensate for an obsessive fear
that we might be fired at work.
Howard Hughes attempted to compensate for fears of failure by washing his
hands and trying to protect himself from germs. (Barlett and Steele, 1997)
Identifying and developing faith for our true fears and insecurity
can greatly help us to overcome these types of compulsions.
Conquering Jericho
Jericho is the fortress of fear. Consequently,
it represents our struggles to overcome the insecurity in our lives.
We can verify that the city of Jericho represents fear by the fact that each
time the city is mentioned, the people were living in fear. Rahab said
that the inhabitants were in fear of the Israelites and that the gates were
locked out of fear. (Joshua 2:9, 11, 6:1) The clients’ fears are the
first formidable challenge. We are later told that all the tribes were
represented at Jericho. All sorts of psychological problems make their
homes in the client's life based on fear. Probably the best known are
fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of shame, and fear of punishment.
(McGee, 1990) Phobias, anxiety attacks, some panic attacks,
obsessive-compulsiveness, codependency, domestic violence, and most other
psychological disorders have their roots in fear.
The basis of overcoming simple fear by faith is
outlined in this event:
1. The first step in overcoming fear is to confront it.
In preparing to take Jericho, the Israelites marched around it for six days.
They were not to speak at all. Negative self-talk and speaking about
fear increases the power of fear. Marching around Jericho represents
surveying the things that cause fear in our lives from a distance as we
build our faith that we can conquer them. Six stands for man's
sufficiency. Speaking about or relying on man's sufficiency is the
basis of most fears. It takes faith in order to overcome fear.
The client must get close enough to the thing that is feared; yet maintain
his faith that, with God’s help, it will not harm him.
2. To overcome fear we must trust God to meet our needs.
On the seventh day they encompassed the city seven times. Seven stands
for God's complete provision. They had to get to the point where they
trusted God's complete provision so much that they were willing to openly
declare and act on their faith.
3. They were to confess their faith. They blew on the
ram's horn. The ram stands for Christ, our perfect sacrifice.
The ram's horn stands for preaching. Faith comes by hearing.
They were then to shout, or declare their faith in unison. When they
did this, the walls or defenses of fear (Jericho) fell down. When we
no longer believe the feared thing can harm us, it is defenseless.
Hebrews 11:30 declares that, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after
they were compassed about seven days."
4. They had to physically occupy the territory of the fear.
The battle was not over until they actually killed the enemy and burned the
city. Until we actually do the thing that is feared, we do not yet
have complete victory.
5. The credit for overcoming our fear must go to God.
This was the first of ten cities and, as such, its wealth was the first
tenth, or tithe. Joshua placed a curse on anyone who took anything
from the city. If clients take credit for overcoming their fear, their
fear will eventually return. This is because the clients are again
relying on themselves. Self-reliance is the root problem underlying
fear.
6. The city of fear must never be rebuilt. Joshua cursed
anyone who would rebuild this city. The curse was that the children of
those who rebuilt the city would die. (Joshua 6:26) Clients
bring a curse on their posterity if they rebuild fear in their lives, since
fear is transmitted from generation to generation. Unfortunately, this
often happens because old patterns of thinking can easily return. (It
is interesting to note that the first and last child of Hiel the Bethelite,
the man who rebuilt Jericho, died (1 Kings 16:34).
7. Only those with faith will not be destroyed by fear.
Rahab, alone, was not destroyed with the people of Jericho. She
believed that the Israelites would take Jericho. We need to believe
that with God's help we can defeat all fear in our lives. (Hebrews
11:31 lists Rahab as one of the heroes of faith.)
If we take a close look at these events, we find the basis for a method for
confronting fears that has been called systematic desensitization. It
is possibly the most effective method of behavior modification for dealing
with fear. First, the client is taught how to relax. Relaxation
helps to alleviate fear. Because most persons cannot be relaxed and
afraid at the same time, tension can also be used as an indicator of fear.
Usually, clients are progressively exposed to fearful scenes in their minds
in a hierarchical order (as they are able to remain relaxed and to overcome
each fearful scene.) In this way, the client is slowly conditioned to
be able to tolerate the feared stimulus. Finally, each of these
situations are experienced in the same order in real life until clients can
face even the most fearful situation that they can imagine. (Comer,
1995) When we examine the process of systematic desensitization,
we find that it is no more than slowly developing faith that the feared
situation can be overcome.
Secular systematic desensitization can only go so
far. It helps people with irrational fears, as they perceive them.
With faith in God, all worldly fears can be overcome; because we trust in
His protection. My experience is that helping clients build a
realistic faith in God, in combination with systematic desensitization,
produces outstanding results in overcoming all fears and anxieties.
In dealing with generalized anxiety or anxiety
attacks, faith in God is essential. The lies that clients believe need
to be disputed and replaced with the truth. They do not live in a
world which is dangerous and where everything goes wrong, but in a world
where God works everything for their good (Rom 8:28) The
confrontation of specific fears must be planned and carried out. The
longer clients avoid their fears, the greater they grows.
If clients are experiencing panic attacks, both a
renewed faith in God and dealing with the specific lies they believe is
required. In most cases, a panic attack is triggered by some fear.
The fear causes a physical response such as an increased heart rate.
Clients focus on the physical symptoms and convince themselves that
something is seriously wrong. This causes increased fear which in turn
increases the physical symptoms until clients are convinced they have a very
serious condition. At this point, many clients hyperventilate which
causes them to feel faint. The cycle continues until they are
convinced they are going to choke, faint, or die. Many persons subject
to panic attacks are very suggestible and have irrational beliefs that
trigger the attacks. Some of the lies they believe are that if their
heart beats too fast they will have a heart attack, if they eat something
they will choke, or because they are committing a particular sin they are
going to go to hell. Helping them to quit hyperventilating, relax, and
confront these lies with the truth usually brings rapid results.
Obsessive-compulsiveness is an attempt to feel in control when clients are actually feels powerless. By concentrating on the problem or worrying and obsessing about it, clients do initially feel more in control. However, the more they obsesses about the problem the more serious it seems and, therefore, the more they need to concentrate on it to feel in control. Compulsiveness is an associated strategy in which clients concentrate on a particular repetitive action that they can control, in order to feel in control. Sometimes clients may have a fear that if they do not do a specific action something catastrophic is going to happen. The Bible directs that instead of worrying we are to trust God and pray. (Philipians 4:6) Compulsions must be confronted in the same way as other fears. When client do what he fear, and dire consequences do not result, they will gradually overcome their fears.
Overcoming Fear Through Faith--The Bible Model of the
Firely Furnace
Fear confronts all of us. In Hinds Feet on High Places (1986) Hannah Hurnard suggests that we are all “fearlings.” Fear is the emotion of unbelief. It is the opposite of faith. Either we believe that God will protect us and take care of us, or we will be afraid. Fear mobilizes us to run from a perceived threat. Fear is an emotion and, therefore, is controlled by how we perceive the threats in our lives. The ultimate answer for fear is to face it with our faith in God.
In the book of Daniel, we find three Hebrew slaves facing the fear of their lives. Either Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego must renounce their faith in God by worshipping the golden statue of the king; or they must face being thrown into a furnace of fire. This story deals with the fear of the soul. In our lives, we each face the same quandary. Either we face the fears of our lives that, to us, seem like certain death, or we bow down to the self, become dominated by the flesh and admit that God is not able to save us. This story begins in the first chapter of Daniel.
1.
The self wishes to enslave us to do its bidding and
make us be its servant though fear.
The children of Israel were conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar of
Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar was the
greatest of the Babylonian kings.
His name means “Nebo is the protector from misfortune,” and he is a type of
the self. Our self believes that
it can be its own God and protect itself from misfortune.
It tries to conquer and control us through fear.
Babylon symbolizes confusion and antagonism against God.
I, therefore, suggest that Babylon stands for our world.
Jehoiakim means “he who Jehovah has set up.”
Da 1:1
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim (He who Jehovah has set up) king of Judah into
his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried
into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels
into the treasure house of his god.
2. The
self wants to dominate what is good in us and conform us to its will.
In life, we are all enslaved by our physical and psychological
needs of the self. We feel fear
that these needs will not be met, unless we protect our selves and meet our
needs through the flesh. Our self
wants us to learn the language or lies of the world to meet our needs
through it, instead of God. It
wants us to learn to speak the world’s language of pride.
Ashpenaz means, “I will make prominent the sprinkled.”
Later, he is called Melzar, which means, “the master of the wine.”
He controlled what they ate and was responsible for their mental
and physical development.
Possibly, he stands for our desires that are concerned about meeting our
physical and psychological needs.
We must have the agreement of our desires in order to restrict what we eat
and guide our future. Our desires
usually focus on what they think is the best for our flesh.
Da 1:3 And
the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring
certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the
princes; 4
Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all
wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had
ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the
learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
3.
The self wants to feed us the lies of the world,
because it wants to do things in its own way.
The result is that by over-relying on ourselves, we are filled
with fear instead of faith.
Unfortunately, even most Christians are greatly influenced to believe the
world’s message by what we are taught in school, what we read and what we
see on television and in the movies.
This provides the foundation for how we interpret our world and this
provides the basis for our fears.
Unfortunately, small children have no other reference point for interpreting
their world than what they are taught and experience.
We are supposed to eat of the flesh of the Word of Christ and
drink of the wine of His Spirit, instead of the lies and doctrines of this
world, or we will be consumed by the fears of this world.
Da 1:5 And
the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the
wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof
they might stand before the king.
4.
God has given us, through faith, all we need in life
for our protection and to meet our needs.
Jesus told his disciples over and over, “fear not.”
Daniel means, “God is my judge or judge of God.”
I suggest that this stands for our conscience or spirit.
God wants us to let Him be the judge of all things.
Hananiah means, “Jehovah is gracious, God has favored, or given.”
As a Christians, we know that God favors us even when we are
without merit, or if we fail. If
we truly believe this, it provides an emotional foundation for fighting our
fears. Mishael means, “who is like
God.” It is our will that
determines if we will be conformed to be like God, or if we will become our
own God. Azariah means, “Jehovah
has helped.” We can count on God
to meet all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Philipians 4:19).
We must remember all that God has done for us when fear tries to
overcome us.
Da 1:6
Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,
and Azariah:
5.
The self wishes to change our character (name) and
make us see ourselves as self-reliant and, yet, a slave to this world.
The eunuch (desires) changed the names of the Hebrew children.
Our desires cannot be fruitful in themselves, but must work
through our soul to make us what we are.
We will act according to how we see ourselves.
Daniel was renamed Belteshazzar which means, “protect his life” or
“the God Bel protects the king.”
Our self wants our spirit to focus on self-protection instead of what God
wants us to do. Hananiah was
renamed Shadrack which means, “a royal scribe.”
Our self wants our emotions simply to reflect whatever it wants
and desires in the world. Mishael
was renamed Meshach which means, “a guest of a king or a shadow of a
prince.” The self wants our mind
to see ourselves as his guest on this earth and become like the world, full
of pride. Azariah was renamed
Abednego which means, “a servant of nebo or Ishtar,” which was the goddess
of love and fertility. The self
wants our will to follow whatever feels good and brings it pleasure.
Consequently, these three names approximate the desires for the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
They represent an attempt to meet the basic needs of the self for
worth and significance, security, and love.
The self wants us to accept our slave names.
He wants us to believe that if we will simply rely on our self and
do things as the world does, our needs will be met.
It wants us to be secure in our own accomplishments, and suggests
that if we will worship the God of pleasure, everything will be wonderful.
Conformity to the world can be and is a strong temptation for all
of us.
Da 1:7
Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel
the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of
Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.
6.
We must not eat from the world’s table, or we will
not accomplish what God
wants for our lives. It is
fear that “we will lose our head” i.e. not get our needs met, that tries to
keep us from avoiding the world’s “food.”
Da 1:8
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with
the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore
he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
9 Now God had brought Daniel into
favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10
And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the
king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see
your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall
ye make me endanger my head to the king.
7.
The first step in overcoming fear is to face our
fears, obey God and test what happens.
We must act on our faith.
Ten stands for human infirmity and failure.
We are afraid we might fail if we do things God’s way.
But if we will face our fear, we will find that God’s ways work
best.
Da 1:11 Then
said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12
Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse
to eat, and water to drink. 13
Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the
countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and
as thou seest, deal with thy servants. 14
So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
8. Experience is the
strongest evidence for our faith.
When the world attempts to make us worship it, we must be ready to face
our fiery trials with faith. The
things of God are ten times better than anything that the world has to offer
us, especially when we receive God’s wisdom and understanding.
Melzer means, “master of the wine,” which possibly represents our
soul. Even the flesh and the self
have to admit that the things that God gives us result in a better life.
Da 1:15 And
at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in
flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. 16
Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that
they should drink; and gave them pulse. 17
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in
all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and
dreams. 18 Now at the end of
the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of
the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19
And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none
like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the
king. 20 And in all matters
of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them
ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his
realm.
9.
The self wants to be worshipped and will set itself up to be
worshipped as god, if it gets the chance.
Dura means, “dwelling,” and the number six stands for man’s
sufficiency. Gold stands for
deity. Our self will submit to no
one and wants our mind, emotions and will to come into conformity with its
wishes. The fact that the image
was huge suggests that this is a significant temptation for all of us.
We all are tempted to want to be our own God and to worship
ourselves. Possibly, Daniel (our
spirit) is not in this story, since our spirit cannot be coerced by fear.
The self loves to make itself seem important.
Da 3:1
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was
threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the
plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 3
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the
treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
10. The
self threatens that if we refuse to worship and rely totally on it, our
needs will not be met and we will be consumed by the fire of our fears.
It is the fear that our needs will not be met that motivates us to
worship the self.
Da 3:5 That
at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the
golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: 6
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into
the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 7
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the
people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden
image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
11.
Others, especially those of the world, will say to us (our self) that we are
not doing enough to meet our needs (or worship the self).
They will suggest that we are missing out on life by not fully
pursuing our desires and making something out of ourselves.
Da 3:8
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
10 Thou, O king,
hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet,
flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall
fall down and worship the golden image: 12
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province
of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not
regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which
thou hast set up.
12. The
self rages against us by saying that we are not trying hard enough to focus
on its needs and demanding that we increase our efforts to meet its lusts.
It wants to give us another chance to conform to this world, or it
threatens to destroy our soul with fear.
Da 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his
rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they
brought these men before the king.
13. The
only answer to overcoming the self is to face the fear with faith that our
needs may go unmet. Our mind,
emotions and will must declare that even if we are consumed by fear and God
does not meet our needs, we still will not worship the self.
Self, of course, will be extremely unhappy, because the only thing
it has to hold onto the throne of our life with is fear.
Seven stands for completeness and fear can be completely
overwhelming at times. This is
especially true of panic attacks and phobias.
Fear is so powerful, we are sure we will be destroyed by it.
Da 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
14.
Fear binds us so that we feel helpless and powerless over our circumstances.
However, it will be our circumstances and fear, itself, that will
be consumed in the fire. The very
basis of fear is our reliance on ourselves, knowing that we are limited and
incapable of directing and doing everything necessary to always protect
ourselves and meet all our needs.
The soldiers who attempted to throw them into the fire (use fear to control
them) were themselves consumed by it.
People who try to force others to meet their needs (abusers) through fear
will eventually be consumed by the fear when others resist their advances.
Da 3:20
And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery
furnace. 21
Then these men were bound in their
coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast
into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22
Therefore because the king’s commandment was
urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men
that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
15.
Even if we do not do everything perfectly (fall down), if we
face our fears, God will personally meet us in our fears and lift us up.
Our self will be amazed, when we trust God and face our fears,
because we are delivered from our fears.
Da 3:23 And
these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the
midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste,
and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound
into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O
king. 25 He answered and said, Lo,
I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no
hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
16.
When we act on our faith to face our fears, we will not be harmed in any way.
Their hair (faith) was not hurt, their clothing (character) was
not burned, and they did not even have the smell of smoke (emotional
consequences) on them.
Da 3:26 Then
Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and
spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most
high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
came forth of the midst of the fire. 27
And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s
counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the
fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their
coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
17.
When we have successfully faced our fears with faith, even our self will
give God the glory and agree that we should not worship ourselves rather
than God. Even the king’s
words—the threats that caused the fear—were negated and turned to nothing.
When faced with faith, panic attacks, phobias and anxiety simply
cannot overcome us.
Da 3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake,
and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath
sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have
changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve
nor worship any god, except their own God.
18.
People who speak against faith and run from their fears or rely on
themselves will end up cut into emotional pieces, and their lives become a
pile of refuse. In this story,
self (Nebuchadnezzar) finally realized the power of faith, and made a
declaration that speaking against faith (which diminishes it) is a crime,
which leads to death and destruction in their lives.
Da 3:29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Da 3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
Steps for Overcoming Fear
1. Fear is an emotion of insecurity that
occurs when our security is threatened or when we are not sure that our
basic needs will be met. It is energy to
avoid whatever threatens us.
2. Satan uses fear to keep us in bondage and prevent us from fulfilling what God has called us to do. He does this by getting us to rely on ourselves and make ourselves our own god instead of trusting God to meet our needs.
3. Our fear is based on our perception of our
world and ourselves. Satan
4. Because we are so limited in what we can
do, we can never guarantee our own safety in this world or fully meet our
needs. Our attempts to become
self-reliant result in even more fear. Those that set themselves up as
their own god and rely on themselves fall into the trap of fear.
5. The first step in overcoming fear is to
not obey or rely on ourselves and to have faith in God, no matter how
difficult or threatening the circumstances
might be.
6. We must not bow down to the self, but face
our fear, trusting in
7. If we face our fears, trusting in faith that God will protect us and meet all our needs, He will be there for us, go through our fears with us, and help us conquer the insecurity in our lives. Every time we overcome fear our faith grows. He has promised that we will never be tempted beyond that which we are able and will always have a way of escape.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)For videos on this subject select the links below:
1. Overcoming Fear Through Faith (Faith Therapy Lesson 10) The Firey Furnace of Fear
2. Principles of Fear Lesson 5 [Start 39:28] Only 1.5 minutes long
3.
Conquering Jerico (Faith Therapy Lesson 2) [Start 34:56]
5.
The written material information presented above comes from