Overcoming Fear ~ Carla Pollard

Over the summer I had the privilege of writing an online Bible study for Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies’ In The Gap Facebook Group. It was a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to share this with you.

So today we begin a three-week study on Fear. This first week we’re looking at Biblical examples of those who fell victim to fear; the next week we’re looking at examples of those who were victors over fear; and the final week we will be studying the value of fear. Yes, dear friends, there is value in fear.

I hope you’re excited and want to dig into the word to draw out of its text what God shows us about fear.

Week 1: Victims of Fear

Hi Dear Friends! I’m excited to be sharing this study with you!

I’ve been working hard to bring you insights and Bible study assignments to help you identify and work through your fears.

Believe me, I’m the first to admit I’ve battled with fear. Researching this Bible study has helped me and I’m trusting God it will help you, too. We have three exciting weeks of Bible study to work through. At the end of this study, we should be able to take the tools we’ve learned and overcome our fears.

In our struggle with fear, it’s important to understand we’re not alone. We all face this struggle at some point in our lives. Fear shows up in many different forms like fear of rejection, fear of public speaking, fear of death or fear of financial loss. I’ve found the enemy of our soul desires to use fear to bring us into bondage. But the truth is, the things we fear the most we typically never face.

President Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” And he was right. So often it’s not the circumstances we face, but our fear within the circumstances that defeats us. We fall victim to fear when we fail to trust God and face our difficulties with courage. God doesn’t want this to happen. As God’s word reminds us:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” Joshua 1:9 (NIV).

This week in our daily assignments, we’re going to discover Biblical examples of victims of fear. We’ll dig into the scriptures and discover what led these men down the path of fear and how we can avoid it. Just as God had promised Israel that they were able to go possess the Promised Land, we’re able to go in the promises of God and conquer our fears.

We start by remembering we can take God at His word. When unbelief raises its ugly voice in the “What if’s” of life, we can stand firm on God’s word, “Even when” we feel afraid.

You might be thinking, “I have giant fears and I’m not sure I can overcome them.” I am right there with you, dear friend!

Thankfully, I’ve come to realize that with God’s help, we can indeed overcome our unhealthy fears. Take a moment and with a prayerful heart reflect on this verse:

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and he helps me” (Psalm 28:7, NIV).

God has called us to be victors, not victims! Fear is something that holds us in bondage. God is a God of faith, love and freedom. In Him, we can go, do, see and live in freedom knowing He’s with us. With God’s help, we’re going to overcome our fears together.

As you read through the daily assignments, try to identify the pivotal point when each victim steps onto the path of unbelief and fear. That path looks like this:

I don’t believe what God has promised will come to pass. My unbelief sends me further down the path to doubt what He will do. Doubt leads me to fear what will happen to me. Fear guides me to wrong actions in order to deliver myself. My wrong actions end in failure because I have not done what God called me to do.

Assignment #1

Today, let’s focus on the path the Israelites took when God brought them out of Egypt to the brink of the Promised Land.

God has a way of bringing us to that fork in the road where we have to make a decision whether we’ll trust what He tells us or whether we’ll believe what we see or what others say. When the circumstances appear scary and dangerous the Israelites, like most of us, decided to take what they thought was the easy way out. But it wasn’t really. The path they chose eventually led to that generation’s demise.

Read Numbers chapter 13, then chapter 14 verse 11, and 30-33.

1. Describe the promise God makes to Moses for Israel in Exodus 3:7-8.
2. How does God describe the land He promises to the Israelites?
3. How did the leaders describe that land in Numbers 13:27?
4. Contrast the account of the leaders in Numbers 13:28, 31-33 with Caleb’s account in verse 30. Do you believe the leaders trusted God’s promise? If not, what did they trust? Do you think they believed God would fight their battles? In what or whom did Caleb trust? Have you ever looked at your circumstances and felt defeated before you stepped onto the battle field? Which report did the people believe?
5. In Numbers 14:7-9 Joshua zeroes in on the children of Israel’s underlying problem. Describe this problem and Joshua’s advice to them on how to overcome it. How did the Israelites choose doubt and fear over trust and faith? What did it cost them? (Numbers 14:30-33). Is it easier for you to believe the promises of God when others believe it? What quality do you think Caleb and Joshua had that enabled them to stand against the majority?
6. Why is God angry with the children of Israel and how does He describe their behavior? (Number 14: 10-11).

Assignment #2
Today we’re chatting about Israel’s first king, Saul.

He stepped onto the path of fear and doubt when he repeatedly refused to follow God’s instructions and forged ahead with his own plans. Saul was left on slippery ground. His last years were spent in fear as he traveled throughout Israel trying to kill God’s next anointed leader. That path ended in utter failure because he trusted himself more than he trusted God.

Read 1 Samuel chapter 15 & 18:1-16.

1. What was Saul’s reason for not trusting God enough to follow His instructions in 1 Samuel 15:24? What were the results of Saul’s actions? Have you ever been afraid to do or not do something right because of what others may say or want? Jot down your thoughts about that time. What, if anything, would you do differently?
2. In 1 Samuel 18 who was gaining popularity among the people and in Saul’s court? What was Saul’s reaction to David’s success? Describe a time in your life when you succeeded in your personal or professional life and others reacted jealously. How did this make you feel? Have you ever reacted jealously to a friend or family member’s accomplishments? Read and reflect on 1 Peter 5:5-7.
3. According to verses 12-15, what emotion was the driving force behind Saul’s anger and jealousy? Do you think Saul believed David could take his throne away?
4. Based on earlier reading in 1 Samuel 15, who really dethroned Saul? Do you think Saul loved his position more than he loved God?

Assignment #3
For today’s lesson, let’s use a technique of Bible study called word study. If you’ve never done a word study, don’t worry, I’m here to guide you!

First you’ll need your Bible, pens, a simple notebook or journal, a dictionary, and some sort of concordance. Your Bible may have a short concordance in the back. A concordance lists words in alphabetical order and shows you where that word is found in the scriptures. I use Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. It is a monster book but it lists every word in the Bible and every verse where that word is used. (Someone once said Strong’s called it Exhaustive because he was exhausted when he finished writing it.) J

Choose one (or however many you’re willing to tackle) key word(s) for this assignment. Here are the key words:

Fear, Faith, Success, Doubt, Courage, Trust, Believe/belief, Unbelief

• Look up the key word in your concordance and write down the references (Book, Chapter, and Verse).
• Look up the verses. You may want to use an online tool for these steps. I recommend www.biblegateway.com as a great resource.
• Jot down those verses on that key word that speak to you in your notebook or journal.

After you’ve researched the key words, answer the following:

1. Look for ways these terms/verses tie together. What connections did you find?
2. Did you discover clarification from these verses for your life? Does this change the way you look at your own fears?
3. Did you feel God speaking to you about your fear through these verses? What is at least one scripture you found to help you overcome fear?
4. What is one thing you’re going to do differently this week as a result of the Scriptures you’ve reviewed?

As you work through your assignments feel free to comment on what you’ve learned or share some Bible verse/verses God has used to speak to your heart.