The Lord is near, we need not fear. ‘God is our Refuge and Strength…. therefore we need not fear.’ Ps 46:1-2. Fear is a paralyzing emotion. We become frozen to the spot, we can’t think rationally. Everything goes into slow motion in that period of time. There is no thought of the past and no expectation of the future. Only that one fearful moment seems to have any meaning. Fear can last for a moment or for an imagined eternity. It can be emotional, physically or spiritual. All fear is real and all-consuming.
It is the moment after the onset of fear that is important. We cannot conquer fear alone, but with God as our help we can be truimphant. Think of the last time you had real fear, what did you do? Did you turn to God or did you struggle on alone. It is a question I must also ask myself. In those agonising moments, words of scripture can float into our minds. That it why it is important to ‘hide God’s words in our hearts.’ Then when all reasonable thought has gone, they will be there.