Fear Hath Torment?

This is a request for prayer as well as hope for counsel. As we grow closer to the last days and society grapples for hope, there is a sense of fear all around. The economy, the stock market, my house, my job, my health, my children, the church..... Fear has been to me an indicator I'm not trusting God for the results in this or that area, but it seems like my wife and I are well balanced in our levels of trust. Where I am weak she is strong and vice versa. Currently my wife has had some pains and symptoms that would lead her to believe that she has liver damage. We are not conventional run to the doctor people but have been made increasingly aware how dietary choices affect our health. The health scare to me is just another class in the "School of God" where He is showing us to trust Him. The background is that there have been several other health scares that have ended in nothing, but they still produced fear in her. We have 4 children at home and she automatically starts thinking what if?..... Prayer is for peace and trust and healing of body as well as deliverance from fear. Counsel is advice or sermons that especially well deal with fear. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; BUT will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it 1 Cor 10:13. I know that many men will be overcome with fears, because the devil is afraid as his time is near, but we should be not be subject to fear as it works against faith. Thanks for and prayers and advise and I am glorifying God for the answers!

2 Timothy 1:7-12
7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
9Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
10But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
11Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Hi BVO...

Brother, my wife and I are praying for you and your family. I find it so interesting that after the Lord told the apostles to "Fear not" no one said, "But Lord..." It is a difficult thing to give lay our fear at the feet of the Lord. But isn't this what faith truly is? It is giving up the seen in preference to what is unseen. When the worst thing that can happen to us is death (and a graduation in which we can finally see the face of God), then why should we fear it? To live is Christ...but to die is gain!

Brother, I married my wife in March. Outside of my Lord, she is the most important thing to me. I understand the immense responsibility of providing for her (and if God allows, our future children). However, just like we should give our fear to God, we commit (and even pledge) the lives of our loved ones to the Lord. This is probably a little more difficult than pledging our own lives. But the end is always the same for believers. Christ Jesus has taken the sting out of death!

Here are a few verse for you, brother. Be encouraged that the Lord has His eye upon you and cares for you more than any sparrow!

...

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

[b]- I Corinthians 15:58[/b]

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

[b]- I Peter 5:7-10[/b]

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

[b]- Matthew 6:25-34[/b]

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 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."

[b]- I John 4:17-18[/b]

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."

[b]- Romans 8:15-19[/b]

Be encouraged!

:-)

Thanks for the every word and encouragement. I think that perfect love casts out fear is the assurance of His love that we can have faith in His promises to protect and keep. I am very thankful for this SI family and I would like to thank God also openly for a new church family locally He provided for us recently after much time out home fellowshipping. God is very faithful and will provide. Thanks again, you are precious to me! Love in Christ Barry :-D