Words to Stand On - Day Eight

Have you ever been alone at night and became afraid?  I have.  When my husband and I moved away from our small hometown to Terre Haute, Indiana, his job required him to work "graveyard shift" which meant I was alone after midnight.

It's funny how you can hear strange noises when you are by yourself in the middle of the night.  Your imagination can run away with you and before long you're terrified! I had always lived in the country and the city sounds in the dead of night caused me to break into a sweat.

I had to get in control of my emotions or I would end up a basket case.  What to do?

I believe that you can find an answer to any problem in God's word.  Here are three scriptures that comfort me anytime I am afraid.

This first scripture is a simple line that I love to repeat as a mantra whenever I'm afraid:

"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" Psalm 56:3

This scripture is one of the first ones I learned as a child, and I have prayed it many, many times!

Later on in life, I learned that fear comes from the enemy:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" 2 Timothy 1:7

If I was afraid, it's a sure bet that it wasn't God that put that fear in my mind.

However, if I was experiencing a night-long bout of terror, I learned to open my bible and read Psalm 91 over and over until I was calm. Eventually, I would relax, feel safe and fall asleep. (Oh, did I mention I was pregnant during this time of night terrors?)  There was many a morning I would wake up with the bible turned to Psalm 91 and propped up on my stomach.

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High

will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 This I declare about the Lord:

He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;

he is my God, and I trust him.

3 For he will rescue you from every trap

and protect you from deadly disease.

4 He will cover you with his feathers.

He will shelter you with his wings.

His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,

nor the arrow that flies in the day.

6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,

nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

7 Though a thousand fall at your side,

though ten thousand are dying around you,

these evils will not touch you.

8 Just open your eyes,

and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,

if you make the Most High your shelter,

10 no evil will conquer you;

no plague will come near your home.

11 For he will order his angels

to protect you wherever you go.

12 They will hold you up with their hands

so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;

you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust in my name.

15 When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue and honor them.

16 I will reward them with a long life

and give them my salvation.

This psalm is so comforting!  I love where the psalmist declares, "His faithful promises are your armor and protection". What more do you need?

I learned to trust Him so well by studying this psalm over and over.  Now I stay by myself at night and never think a thing about it.

Do you have times of heart-stopping fear? You may think it sounds simplistic to believe that meditating on scripture can remove fear. I know standing on God's promises work, I've done it many times in my own life. When God makes a promise, you can believe it. He said, "I will protect those who trust in my name."  He always keeps His word, He has never failed yet.