NO FEAR
When your thoughts are running away from you.
When you heart races and you don’t know what to do.
When it seems, your life is turned upside down.
And you feel your world spinning round and round.
When your life hasn’t turned out liked you thought.
When all your dreams have come to naught.
When your doctor tells you, “there's no cure.”
In this one thing you can be sure;
Your life is in the hands of GOD,
He’s been every place you’ve ever trod.
As His perfect love draws you near,
Remember in HIM there is NO FEAR!!
TSMATHEWS © 2017
Back in 2014 when my husband Carlton was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, GOD began to deal with me about fear. He brought to my remembrance many scriptures about fear and He reminded me many times that fear doesn’t have a place in a Christian’s life. I thought He was showing me this to encourage Carlton while he was going through treatment. No, He was getting me ready for the most difficult time of my life, losing my husband of twenty-eight years. He was showing me how to live a life fully trusting HIM with NO FEAR!!
Most of you know the struggles I have had since Carlton moved his residence from earth to Heaven on May 7, 2015, if not, you can read about it here. There have been many things I have faced that should have made me tremble with fear but GOD has held me close and reminded me HE is in control of my life.
On the first day, I visited the Oncology Radiation Office waiting to be called back, I begin to feel an overwhelming spirit of fear and I started to tremble. So, I begin to pray and ask the Lord to bring peace to me. One of my sons noticed me and asked what was wrong, when I explained, he held my hand and prayed too. I began to immediately feel GOD’s peace surround me, but as we all know, satan wants us to live in fear, so he will do whatever he can to slip it back in our lives. He is very cunning and will use whatever tactic he can to succeed.
During the past 4.5 weeks, every time I undergo a treatment, which only lasts about 3-4 minutes, I pray that the radiation only goes to the “bad” area and not to the surrounding tissues, heart, lungs, ribs, back, etc... To me that seemed like a normal response to a stressful situation.
On Wednesday of this past week, while repeating my ritualistic prayer, the Lord spoke to my spirit these words….NO FEAR!!! Wait a minute!! Could my little silent prayer asking for protection from the radiation, be born out of FEAR??!! Then I felt the Lord telling me “Instead of praying a fearful prayer, why not use this time to pray for the others that are coming in and lying on this table undergoing radiation treatments.” It only took me a few seconds to process this and I began to pray for salvation and healing for anyone that comes into that lonely room to undergo treatment.
Let me clarify that asking GOD for mercy and protection is not wrong, in fact that is what we are supposed to do. Our Heavenly Father loves to hear from his children; but when your prayers are being driven by fear and not by faith, it grieves Him. 1 John 4:18 tells us “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” GOD’s love is perfect and it will drive away any fear that we have.
Another scripture on fear is 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Fear will torment our minds and that is not what GOD wants for us. He has promised us a sound mind! When we call out to Him, He will help us overcome our fears, just like Psalms 34:4 says “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
Another wonderful reminder that GOD will help us overcome our fear is Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
I appreciate all the prayers that everyone has sent up for me and for the ones that you will continue to pray but I also ask that you join me in praying for EVERYONE that is fighting cancer. Hearing that word can instill fear in anyone, so let’s remind them and especially satan, that GOD IS GREATER than cancer and in HIM THERE IS NO FEAR!!
Here are some additional scriptures about not being fearful.
Deut. 31:6 Joshua 1:9 Psalm 27:1 Psalm 56:3-4 Psalm 118:6
Isaiah 41:13 Isaiah 43:1 Hebrews 13:5-6 John 14:27
Here are a couple of my favorite songs by Chris Tomlin.
ENJOY!!
If you have a favorite scripture that has helped you overcome fear,
please leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you!!
Teresa, you are an inspiration. I love how you turned the treatment room into a healing prayer sanctuary! You show that by using the Lord's authority we can be fruitful even through trials. God bless you!
ReplyDeleteOH KATHLEEN thank you for those encouraging words. I do pray that my life will bring GLORY to our LORD's NAME!! Love you sweet Kathy!!
DeleteThank you so much for this article. I do not believe in coincidences when there is a God. I believe God is about to do something else in my life and he is preparing me. I have to have a biopsy tomorrow to see if the 2 masses are cancerous. Although my oncology surgeon does not think so, it is still scary. I have been through this before in 2013 when I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Triple Negative Breast Cancer. One of my scriptures was Proverbs 3:5-6. I did not understand a lot of things but I knew God and that had to be enough for me. This time it is a little differs because I lost my twin 3 months ago to Brain Cancer. There is a part of me that really does not want this to be cancer because I do not know how much more my family can take. One thing I do know is God will provide for all of us. Is it easy to drive out fear? No, because fear is a highly emotional response but we serve a God who will calm us in the storm and be there with us all the way to the finish line.
ReplyDeleteI am so grateful for the scriptures you referenced. I will definitely be imprinting them on my heart.
Praying for you to continue to have the peace of God which transcends all understanding.
Oh SONNETTA, my heart goes out to you. I fully understand that fear can quickly show up when we hear bad news. I will be praying for you to receive good news in the midst of this storm. Here is the lyrics to a song my dad loved to listen to when I was a child and right before he moved to Heaven, he requested me to sing it at his funeral and with GOD's help I was able to do that.
DeleteTILL THE STORM PASSES BY (Mosie Lister)
In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place.
'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Chorus
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Many times Satan whispered, "There is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by"
But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies.
Chorus
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
When the long night has ended and the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore;
In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.
Sorry about blogger cutting off my message before I finished. If you are on facebook please send me a friend request so I can keep in touch with you. Thank you for sharing with us here on OWG and for your encouraging words!! (((HUGS)))
DeleteTERESA, thank you so much for this inspiring, beautiful post. The poem, the music, the scriptures, everything -- are so anointed by God. Thank you for letting Him use you. I woke up this morning and my stomach was and is in knots. I can't stand any type of conflict or drama and always try to live a peaceful life. But there is a devil in this world constantly working to take away our peace. I use several of the scriptures you mentioned above and when I'm in a hurry one of my faves is, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee." (Psalm 56:3) It's amazing how quoting the Word can bring you immediate peace and comfort.
ReplyDeleteDIANA, your words reminded me of 1 Peter 5:6 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" satan wants nothing more than to cause strife in our lives but when we resist him he will run!! (James 4:7)
DeleteI love you my "twin"!! Keep on keeping on holding on, 2017 is going to turn out to be an outstanding year!! "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
Thank you, T! Amen! Love you!
DeleteThank you for sharing your inspiring testimony with us Teresa. Love the verses you shared. God's Word never fails. Continued prayers for you.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Tina
TINA thank you for prayers and for you dropping in! I thank GOD for great friends like you, what a blessing you are! (((HUGS)))
DeleteTeresa, you are a remarkable woman and I am so thankful I have gotten to"know" you through this wonderful site. Your wisdom, your strength... you are showing all of us how when we might be scared or face devastating news or even lose the love of our life. Thank you sweet lady. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
ReplyDeleteMELANIE, thank you for your lovely words, I am so glad that GOD has used OWG to add so many wonderful friends to my life. We may never meet in person here but one day we will all meet in Heaven! What a glorious time that will be! (((Hugs)))
DeleteTERESA, You darling sister-in-Christ, I love you and pray for you! Since fear and peace cannot coincide, one of my favorite verses is “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14.27
ReplyDeleteAnd another...“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Your poem is perfect! And I am a big Chris Tomlin fan.
{{hugs}}
TERESA, Anne had the same thoughts I did, about peace and fear not being able to co-exist together! So those verses on peace and about Jesus being the Prince of Peace, are my go to scriptures when I'm fearful.
DeleteANNE and NOELA you are both right, those scriptures are wonderful reminders that we can live a fearless life. I love you two so very much!! Thank you both of being such amazing friends!! (((HUGS))) and much love!
DeleteTeresa, my sweet sister in Christ, you are SUCH an inspiration. I'm thankful that God let our paths cross as I count it an honor and a joy to know you. Thank you for these beautiful words of encouragement. You have a wonderful gift. I'm sure you will know this hymn. It's one of my favorites. Love you!
ReplyDeleteWhen peace like a river attendeth my way.
When sorrows like sea billows roll.
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Oh ANGI that is my favorite old hymn. That was the other song I sang for my daddy's funeral. Sweet Girl, you are another of the huge blessings being on OWG has brought my way. Maybe one day we will get to meet in person. (((BIG HUGS))) and much love!!
DeleteI lost my stepdad September to Multiple Myeloma. I am blessed to know that God has everything under control, but my Mom doesn't. I am praying for her, that the Lord would open her heart to receive him, her eyes to see him and her ears to hear him. Thank you so much for sharing and for the wonderful poem.
ReplyDeleteLOURDES, I'm so sorry to hear of you and your moms' loss. MM is a nasty disease, that's is what caused my husband to pass away. I will join you in praying for your mom to fully realize that GOD loves her beyond measure and is waiting with open arms for her.
DeleteI'm so glad you stopped by and I'm so grateful for your sweet words. (((HUGS)))
Thank you Teresa, This post has really brought inspiration and comfort to me! I'm praying for you and joining you in prayer for all those fighting Cancer. Bless you
ReplyDeleteLYNNE, thank you so much for the prayers. What a joy it is to hear that others praying for those fighting the fight of their lives! SO glad you enjoyed my post!! Sending (((big hugs))
DeleteAwesome poem and testimony sweet Teresa!! You're an amazing inspiration to SO many people and I know God must be exceptionally pleased with you. Thanks for sharing, and for the amazing songs by Chris Tomlin. I especially love 'Whom shall I fear'. Hugs and love, Sissy!
ReplyDeleteNOELA, thank you so much for being the sweet sister of my heart! Thank you for your sweet words, oh the many times you have encouraged me when I was not feeling my best!! I love you and once again I will say GOD richly blessed me when HE put you in my life!
DeleteSuch a beautiful poem, Teresa, thank you for your wonderful post - God has given you many talents, my sweet friend. Others of which are certainly encouragement, inspiration, and a love for others. I'm so blessed to have your friendship and as a sister-in-Christ - as well as all those encouraging, inspiring, scriptures God has given us and the music also (always a balm to my heart and soul). You've been an inspiration to me since the day I met you online - praying for the opportunity to spend time in person with you again one day, praying also for you and your family always - love and hugs!!
ReplyDeleteBONNIE, you have been the blessing to me since we meet. What a wonderful Lord we serve that is always looking out for our well-being and that includes giving us good friends. I sure hope we'll see each other again before too long! Love you my dear friend. (((HUGS)))
DeleteThanks for yet another blog post from you Teresa. God is our Hope in which to draw strength when we feel afraid. I hung on to Him when my cancer journey was scary--knowing that only through Him could I make it through the path laid before me 22 years ago.
ReplyDeleteMight I also say what a blessing it was to finally meet you in person a few months ago while also visiting my former neighbor & friend forever, Diane Flowers. Our visit may have been short, but I know it was a blessing for all three of us. Don't forget you can always msg me no matter the time! Love you guys!
Vicki
VICKI, it was quite a night hearing the tales of your globe-trotting! Hope you have lots more fun things to share the next time. :-) (((BIG HUGS)))
Delete