After two months of constantly living with the fear of impending surgery, God directed me to Psalm 34 and has vanquished my fears. Am I looking forward to the surgery? Of course not! Would anyone? But God has spoken to my heart and has shown me that Jesus will be right beside me during the entire ordeal. I will be sleeping peacefully under the effects of anesthesia, but Jesus will be right there, guiding the hands of the surgeon as he guides the robot to complete the procedure.

Release from fear for me and for everyone starts with praise. I will praise God at all times: when things are going well and when things go awry. God didn’t change, even when the circumstances are not to my liking. He always deserves praise, not because of what is happening in my life but because of who He is. Once you get that truth deep into your heart, you are more than ready to conquer your fears. Because what is fear except a lack of faith in the God who created you and who is watching over and guiding your steps? So, I have abandoned my fears and substituted them for praise. Each time a new fear comes into my mind, my reply is to praise God, with a Scripture verse or a song or a simple, “Thank You, Lord”, acknowledging that He is sovereign over all that is happening to me.

Wouldn’t you like to be freed from your fears? There is no magic formula. Instead, all you need is praise deep in your heart. Fear can’t live where God is being praised. I have found that out personally, and I hope that you will, too! Blessings!