When I Am Afraid . . .

“I’M SO AFRAID!” the young woman exclaimed as I sat down next to her on the plane.

“Is this your first time to fly?” I asked.

“Well,” she replied, “it’s the first time I’ve flown by myself, and I just left my two little kids. My aunt had an accident.”

I had planned to work on the plane, but I quickly realized the Lord had other plans for me.

“Did you know there is a verse in the Bible that reminds us God will help us when we’re afraid?” I asked her.

“My mom told me about verses like that, but she passed away. Will you tell me one?” she begged.

At that moment, I was grateful for fearful circumstances I’d experienced through the years. Desperate to memorize applicable Scripture, I packed “fear” verses in my brain like I packed clothes in my suitcase for my trip. I quoted her Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

“Can you tell me more?” my seatmate asked.

“My favorite is Psalm 56:3-4,” I shared. “‘When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?’” I told her the story of our first week in the Philippines, when a robber broke into a room where my children and I were staying while my husband was traveling to another island to secure a home for us.

My seatmate wiped her tears as she listened intently. I had the incredible privilege of watching the power of God’s Word envelop her with His peace.

“I think I’ll sleep now,” she said.

I couldn’t help but think of Psalm 4:8: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.” After the burglary episode, I put this passage together with Psalm 56:3-4 and sang them every night to my children as long as they allowed me to tuck them into bed.

I no longer sing these verses to my children, but my children sing them to their children. And the result is the same: peace, the absence of fear. Because fears are real and occur daily, I still sing the verses to myself.

As our plane began its descent, my new friend woke up and smiled. “I’m so glad I changed my seat,” she said. I had actually changed my seat too. How like the Lord to orchestrate our encounter!

You may not be afraid of flying, but what about the fears of rejection, failure, change, loneliness, disappointing people, losing your job, public speaking, getting old, missing out, job interviews, spiders, car accidents, losing your way, natural disasters, a down economy, or death? The young woman next to me might have assumed that I had it all together and never dealt with fear. But when I sat down next to her on the plane, I feared failing to complete my long to-do list and being inadequate for the challenging event that awaited me.

For all of the above circumstances, the biblical command is clear: “Do not fear!” The psalmist reminds us that when fear creeps in—and it will—we must put our trust in the Lord, who will help us. Prepare and train for fears in the same way you do for a race, a job, or a speech. Exchange fears for peace, like the woman on the plane did. She hugged me as we exited, hesitating to let go. I reminded her that although we were heading in different directions, the Lord would always be with her to give peace and take away fear.

What fear stands between you and peace? The Lord waits to make that incredible trade—our fears for His peace.

REFLECTION

What fears keep you up at night? Memorize a “fear” verse and quote it to yourself as you go to sleep. You might want to add Psalm 4:8 too—the perfect lullaby for all ages. Reread Isaiah 41:10 and think about what it means to be upheld by God’s hand. He will never leave you!