“The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 NIV
The easiest way to overcome fear of people is with God. Stronghold is defined as a place that has been fortified against an attack. A stronghold can be either negative or positive. If you are gripped with fear of people, a person or relationship, that is a negative stronghold. The fear is affecting your ability to enjoy your life. However, if you make God the stronghold of your life, He overcomes any other fears you have. He is your fortress, no matter what the circumstances are in your life. He will protect you from all attacks, help you weather the storm and have peace in the midst of it. If you want to get rid of your fear of people, make God your stronghold.
How do you make God your stronghold? By spending time with Him. There is no perfect formula what your time with God must look like. Oswald Chambers said, “Allow God to be as creative and original with others as He is with you.” In other words, don’t compare yourself to how others connect with God. Each of us has a unique relationship with our Creator, one that no one else shares. I connect with God in the morning, you might connect with Him in the evening. I read scripture and devotionals, you may listen to worship music and podcasts. However you choose to connect with God, do it daily. Spend time with Him daily and He will become the stronghold of your life.
Spend time with Him daily and He will become the stronghold of your life.
When a dear pastor friend of mine was shot five times and his son killed while working on a house for a homeless veteran, God was his stronghold. Victims of a robbery, two 18 year old men, shot and killed his son upon sight. That action took away a worship leader for his church, a husband to his wife, and a father to his daughter. Then they shot my friend 5 times, leaving him for dead. But God had other plans. He gave my friend the strength to crawl outside to call for help, to live. When he woke up in the hospital, the first thing he asked for was his Bible and books on heaven. He took refuge in the Lord, God is his stronghold. My friend has spent a lifetime of connecting with God daily, trusting Him with his life. Because of his daily discipline, when tragedy struck, He was already deeply secure in God’s stronghold. Each day you connect with God will make the stronghold a little stronger. If you want to overcome fear of people, make God your stronghold.
Question of the Day:
What is one thing you can do today to make God your stronghold?
Further Reading: Exodus 15:19-17:7 NIV, Matthew 22:1-33 NIV, Psalm 27:1-6 NIV, Proverbs 6:20-26 NIV
