Let’s Talk About Fear

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

Read the following Scriptures. Ask God to speak to you as you read.

  • John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
  • Hebrews 4:11 ”Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”

Hey Friend, I want to talk to you about something that is shouting in our faces all day long, especially during the Coronavirus season, making itself known in the most obvious way. 

This thing is fear. 

I don’t know if you’ve given much thought to fear — to exactly what it is and what it means for your life, how you are responding to it, or to how God wants you to respond to it. Today, we’re going to begin diving into this topic, and I’m going to share some truths from God’s Word that I have lived out in my life in a very real way this last year.

First of all, I want to provide a little bit of backstory to you. 

A little over a year ago in March, my husband went in for what we thought was a routine MRI. He had developed migraines about a year prior, and had finally gone to see a neurologist. As a standard precaution, the neurologist recommended an MRI. He really didn’t think much of it and even made the remark that we would probably be wasting money on that scan. We weren’t concerned, and we certainly had no idea what was in store for us that Monday morning we met with the neurologist. That was the morning that my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor on his brainstem. 

Now, if you don’t know anything about brain anatomy (which I did not), you may have no idea of the seriousness of this discovery. The brainstem is the most sensitive part of the brain. It controls all major functions of your body, and it is the most difficult part of the brain to get to, as it is located deep within the brain. It is, in the words of one of our surgeons, the most valuable real estate in the brain. It had been invaded by a tumor — and a sizable one at that. And just like that, my world came crashing down. 

In this past year, I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and truth be told, I’m still in it. But you know what? I am still upright, I am still walking, and I do not fear because He is with me. But I truly have to work at it, laboring to enter that rest (Hebrews 4:11). And in that hard place, I have learned so many invaluable lessons that I would not have learned any other way. You see, just as He says about Himself in His Word, God truly is good, and He is good all the time. We’re going to delve deeper into the study of fear and how to overcome it in the following days.

Prayer for Today: Father, I pray that today, you would open the eyes of our hearts. Make us sensitive to Your Holy Spirit as He speaks truth to us in the following days about fear, about You, and about trusting You. Thank You that You are always with us, and thank You for Your Truth that lights our way. Amen!

Linda Steppenbacker
Latest posts by Linda Steppenbacker (see all)

7 Comments on “Let’s Talk About Fear”

  1. Linda, thank you so much for allowing God to use your life and testimony to bless all of us through your devotional study! This is so good!!

  2. Linda thank you for being willing to write this study! I am so grateful that you are allowing God to comfort you during this time. I have struggled with fear and anxiety since I was a kid, and God has helped me with it, but it is still something I have to really keep on watch for! Excited for this study!

    1. Megan! I love that you are so aware of the fight that is going on, and I am praying for great victories for you. Thank you for sharing!

  3. Thank you for your honest sharing.
    I know I need to hear this truth, especially in these days.
    May the Spirit enlighten and equip us to obey.

    1. Thanks, Cinderly. And Amen to that! God is so faithful. When we seek Him, He is found. Thank you for your cooment. I’m praying for you today!

Leave a Reply to Linda Steppenbacker Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload the CAPTCHA.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.