Do Not Fear!

I was on a flight to Denver on Friday and we were experiencing very high winds. As we were descending into Denver, the wind was tossing our plane around as if it were some sort of toy. My heart started to race and I began to panic! I cried out to the Lord to put His hand under the plane and His angels on the wings and stop it from tossing. Often, the Lord has done this for me, but this time I felt He was asking me to ride it out.

I closed my eyes and as I did, I heard some verses from a song by Laura Story called "Perfect Peace." The verse says; "Although I may not calm the storms around you, you can hide in me... I will give you perfect peace." Isaiah 26:3 says "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." This word steadfast means "firm in belief, determination, and adherence: loyal, immovable." So I focused on Jesus and the truth and as I did, my fear lifted and was replaced by peace.

Going from fear to peace has been the greatest transformation in my life. I remember times when I have been on a plane and my husband has had to talk me out of standing up and screaming, "Let me out!" In my lifetime I have fought against every kind of fear imaginable, such as; fear of flying, heights, abandonment, rejection, death, public speaking, crowds, etc. Overcoming this fear is my greatest testimony to the power of God. Overcoming fear does not mean that I do not feel it at times. It means that when I feel it, I do not let it control my life. I take my mind off of the fear by focusing on the Truth.

Did you know that there are 365 references in the bible that say, "Do not fear." This is so sweet of the Lord. One for everyday of the year. There are even more verses which address other aspects of fear. One of my favorites is in 2 Timothy 1:7. "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." In Psalm 139, it says that; "God knows the number of my days." In Psalm 23, it says; "surely goodness and mercy will follow me all of the days of my life." In Isaiah 41:10 it says; "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

As the Holy Spirit reminded me of these scriptures, I began to relax. So, for the remainder of this flight I rested in His peace. I remember a smile coming to my face as God reminded me that no matter what, I would not leave this earth until I have fulfilled the purpose for which He created me. He spoke to me of His love and His faithfulness and the way that He was protecting me. I was in His hand. My eyes were closed and tears of joy were spilling out. I was focused on Jesus and His truth and at that point, I never wanted to leave this peaceful and beautiful state I was in.

As we began to land, my husband took my hand as he usually does, and I opened my eyes to see the runway bouncing around on either side of me. The plane was teetering and tottering and through God's strength, I was not scared--in fact, I was wishing the flight were a bit longer so I could stay for awhile. This caused me to laugh out loud! Wow! The power of God is amazing!! Even the worst place can be the best place when I am experiencing an intimate moment with Jesus. He can deliver us from all of our fears!!