“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding”(Proverbs 3:5).
For me, this was the key scripture that catapulted me down the road to recovery. When we trust God with our lives and don’t try to figure things out on our own, then fear–no matter what it may be–does not have foothold in our lives.
It all comes down to trust. Can you trust God with your life? With your death? With your family? When your heart is racing and your mind is filled with fear? Can you not fight those uninvited thoughts? Can you stand still and see the salvation of the Lord?
My first victory over panic attacks came when I was sitting in a recliner holding my son. The panic hit. My mind was racing. Then, I thought, “Lord, I don’t care what happens. I will trust you. If I die, then I die. Whatever happens, I will trust you.”
Do you know what happened? The fear came and went. It didn’t stay around long enough to do anything. No panic attack. No overwhelming fear. It just came to pass.
That was my first victory. Since then, I’ve been able to rest during an attack. Occasionally, an attack will get the best of me. But, I press into God and spend time alone with him. I pray and worship until I can hear that still, small voice encourage me, “Don’t fear, my child. You can trust me.”
I pray that each one of you will experience the overcoming power of trusting our Father. Our salvation was paid for with a very high price–the death of God’s Son. Do you think God would pay such a high price for our lives and not watch over us?
This weekend, let me encourage you to do two things: First, don’t lean on your own understanding–don’t try to figure it all out. Secondly, trust God. Trust your Father in heaven. When the fear hits, pray, “Father, I will trust you no matter what happens. With all that I am, I will trust you.” Then, just rest in his arms of love, and he will carry you. He will not let you fall.
Prayer: Father, I trust you. I put all of my trust in you, for you are my King, my Protector, my Lord. My hope is in you.