“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1).
What is a “refuge”? One dictionary defines it like this: “a place, or sometimes a person, offering protection or safe shelter from something.” A refuge is a place of safety, a place where you run to when you’re threatened or afraid.
When fear and panic strikes, where do you run? What is your refuge? Who is your refuge? I want you to be really honest with yourself. Is God truly your refuge? When things come crashing in, is he really the very first place you turn? Or, is he the last resort when nothing else seems to be working?
Is your spouse a refuge? Is beer a refuge? Is medication a refuge? Is food a refuge? Are Twinkies a very present help in times of trouble?
I’ll be the first to admit it. For most of my life, God was not my refuge and strength during the storms of fear. I turned to many other things when faced with crippling anxiety. I relied on people to help calm me down. I would typically call someone, because that would force me to “get things under control”. Or, I would turn to alcohol at night to numb the confusing thoughts. In fact, I had many refuges–medication, television, intellect, money–all have been refuges in times of trouble.
What is the very first thing you do when fear strikes? That is your refuge and strength. And, if it’s not God, then it will surely fail you. Yes, it may provide temporary peace, but it will not provide that deep, soul peace that we really need.
God, on the other hand, is a “very present help in times of trouble”. How close is God? He’s in you. He is closer to you than you are. He’s not just present–he is VERY present. When fear strikes, we don’t have to run to God, because he is already in you through Christ.
“Russell,” you may say, “I’ve tried that, and I don’t have any peace. I don’t know how to turn to God when the fear strikes.”
This battle of fear takes place internally, not externally. It’s a war of the mind. So, battling this internal war with external things will never be successful. Rather, we must fight internally, within our soul.
When fear comes crashing in, the first thing you must do is turn to God. Call out to him in prayer. Pray for strength, courage and wisdom in how you should respond. Let God be your refuge and strength, your very present help in times of trouble.
The next thing you should do is nothing. That’s sounds strange, but let me explain. Fear, at this point, is telling you to do something. It’s telling you to get off the road, get out of the store, call someone, get help, run for your life. This irrational fear is barking its commands at you, and your mind is being bombarded with this onslaught of demands. Terry Wardle, in his book “Whispers of Love in Seasons of Fear”, sums it up best when he says, “Resist the urge to manage your pain.”
Let God be your refuge and strength. Let him be your very present help in times of trouble. Let him be your first choice, not your last resort.
Prayer: “Father, I’ve relied on many other refuges in the past. I’ve trusted in the things of this world to bring me peace, but today, I choose you. Be my refuge and strength in times of trouble. Give me the strength to do nothing. Give me the strength to wage this war in my mind. Together, we shall be victorious. Apart from you, Lord, I can do nothing. I ask these things in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
About Russ
Russ,
I just want to thank you for putting this site together as a comfort and encouragement to those like myself you have been under the grip of anxiety for too long. While I have been learning how to “cope” with anxiety over the past year, I have not learned how to overcome it. This has been discouraging. As I have been reading your blogs I have been receiving wisdom and understanding as to why I have not overcome anxiety in my life. I have learned that it has been my Master, that I fear it. The symptoms, the thoughts, the lack of sleep, you name it. While I have become a “functioning” person, I have not been a person fully alive and that is what I most desire. So this past week I have begun to repent of obeying fear and asking the Holy Spirit to teach me and show me how to not obey. Doing nothing is a good place to start. I have also been learning that I must bring a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving everyday to Father God. This is not always easy to do, but then that is why it is called a sacrifice. I am also connecting with other believers and sharing my need for their prayers and fellowship. This is not easy to do, because it is difficult for them to grasp what anxiety is and how it works in a person’s life. But in it all they are being gracious and longsuffering.
Actually this past weekend I began to experience time periods where I did not even think about anxiety, just lived life with my family. It raised its head again last nite during sleep. I awoke with a jolt. My body felt like your funny bone does when it gets hit (this is the most typical way it hits me at nite). But I just let it be and eventually went back to sleep. But it does leave me tired in the mornings and still feeling it some the next day. It is that kind of stuff that wears a person out by weeks end. I realize that to a large degree I “fear” that aspect of anxiety. But adding fear to what is there only makes it worse or “feeds” it so to speak. So I choose to not add the fear today. Blessings.
Jay, I think you’ve touched on the key to freedom–learning how to not give in to fear. Romans 6:16 says, “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master?” It’s true. The more I gave in to fear, the more it became my master. So, as soon as I stood up to that bully, he backed off. It takes baby steps at times, but it is the key to victory! I’m sure of it. My life is living proof that God can give you the strength to stand up against your fears. Today, fear has no hold on my life, and I’m living my dreams. My heart is fully alive! So, be encouraged, you can beat this thing. I used to have “night terrors” all the time, but no more. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.
Wow, what a way to start a Monday. I also had a terrible sleep last night. I came out of it fighting and not knowing how to make the fears go away. Then I asked God what I could do about this. Only to come on this morning and read Russ say, “the next thing you should do is nothing”. Hit me like a ton of bricks. I honestly don’t know how to do nothing. Lately I think I fear the fear(that I think I’ve gotten an understanding of) coming back. And so the cycle starts again. I believe I have the obsession part where I can’t let go of a bad thought. I read Dr. Claire Weekes over the weekend and the book was incredible. I thought I was cured. Until last night when my thoughts taught me I could be scared by another bad thought and get into that same boat all over again. That thought terrified me even more than the original thought. I will keep pushing forward and try to have faith I will come out of this better.
Keep pushing forward, Mary. When fear screams at you, do nothing. Do not obey it. God will give you the strength you need.
Mary,
You, myself and others who battle with anxiety, all struggle with the thought issues. However we got there by practicing wrong kinds of thinking over and over again. We kept giving these thoughts our attention, placing value on them, believing them to be true, when they are really a lie. Eventually we felt powerless to overcome them. I noticed you read Claire Weeks. She teaches what Russ is saying, Do Nothing. Do not engage these thoughts, recognize them for what they are, lies. Do not add fear to them, because that is what they feed on. Do not obey the fear as Russ states. God is present to give you the strength you need to do this each moment and each day. You and I got where we are at by practicing engaging and obeying the fear. But by practicing what Russ is teaching and receiving God’s strength we will come out where our hearts desire.
Hello Everyone,
Last night wasn’t a good night, the last seven days I’ve been sleeping a few hours and today I am discouraged, I have this feeling of not knowing what to do, I feel to cry, I am not working properly today and I have so much work to do. I feel weak and I don’t like to feel this way, I want the Lord to do something when this happens I feel this is too much for me but at the same time deep inside of me there is hope in the fact that God is with me but the feelings of failiure and weakness are so strong. Thanks for hearing me,
Omar.
Omar,
As I read your post, I was reminded of the passage that has come to mind in my times of feeling overwhelmed with anxiety and its effects. It is 2 Cor 12:9-10, in which Paul says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
I for one find it greatly difficult to delight in anxiety and its difficulties. But one thing I have been asking the Lord to do is teach me how to seek and recognize his grace in my life. It is so easy to see God’s grace when all is well or easy in life. But is not so easy when we are in the middle of something that leaves us feeling weak and even helpless at times. However, and it is still a mystery to me, God’s power is being perfected in our lives through all this. I would encourage you today to meditate on his grace and strength in your life. Ask him to reveal how they are working in your life today. He is present. In addition, I would encourage to not “add fear” to what you are experiencing right now with the sleeplessness. You are experiencing a lot of “nervous/adrenal fatigue”. As we add worry and fear to what we are experiencing, it only multiplies the effect. To the best of your ability, meditate on the Lord’s grace and strength in your life and in so doing allow your body and mind to rest from worry.
Blessings
Jay
Jay,
Thanks for your post, it encouraged me a lot. Today I was having the feeling of abandonment and it was very hard, I’ve realized that I feel God is with me when everything is going well but I feel abandoned by Him when my life is not the way I would like it to be and feeling abandoned by God is one of my great fears. I am afraid He will leave me because I am not acting the way He wants, (I easily forget about His Grace) those feelings are very confusing.
I will meditate on God’s grace, I am sure He is here with me with His Grace. Blessings,
Omar.
Hi everyone,
Today I struggle a lot with anxiety and I had a panic attack at the end of the day. Thank God I could stand up again and I feel much better right now. But some of the syntoms that used to provoke anxiety in me have come back and I got a little worried about it. I will go to the Lord since I am waiting for this anxiety to finish. I really want that. Blessings,
Omar.