Never Shaken {Day 8}

It was one of my first times in an adult Sunday school class. An “Adult Bible Fellowship” actually. I was home for the weekend from college, and I wanted to hang with my parents more, so I went with them to their class instead of my own. Actually, I really didn’t know anybody in the college-aged class at the time, so that made the choice even easier. I don’t remember the teacher that day, but I remember everything else about that ABF. Well, I guess I don’t remember the snacks, which for me is actually kind of a big deal.

It had been a tough semester so far, a tough time in college, really. I was in my sophomore year and in a very serious dating relationship that was, shall we say, less than healthy. Still reeling from consequences due to choices I’d made in high school, and tragedies I’d known, my emotional state remained fragile for much of that year, too. I had longed for quiet in my soul. The kind of rest that would keep me from getting all bumped around and ready to burst into tears or an angry outburst at any given moment. I hadn’t realized at the time how desperately I had longed for that, how much pressure I had put on anyone willing to love me. Pressure to be the rock I needed. To stand me up and hold me secure.

So when the teacher of that class had us open our Bibles to Psalm 112, you might imagine my interest when we got to verse 6 and then 7 and then verse 8.

Never shaken! I could not even imagine! No fear of bad news! What could I live like if I wasn’t afraid of anything that was yet to come? Steadfast! I fell in love with that word. A heart secure! Solidly founded! I was intrigued by the truth of what we had just read. The Psalm had started with

And this was the blessing: never shaken, secure, no fear of what-ifs, steadfast.

I adopted that word as my life’s motto that day. I longed for the steadfast heart, the steadfast mind. Trusting God so completely that nothing could possibly happen to shake me into the uptight worry, the dreaded fear that had become part of me. The idea of such security resonated so deeply in my soul that I set out to discover what this “fear of the LORD” is. And why it would bring such blessing. Such security. Such unshaken stability and steadfast living.

That was 5 years 18 years ago (oh my gosh! Am I really that old?!?), but I am still seeking out that blessing. Still looking to figure out completely what that fear of the LORD means. And so this week, we’ll talk through some of the Scriptures that God has shown me, some of the truths with which He has held me tight. And I would love to know some of yours. Why not leave a comment and tell what truth God uses to help calm you when you’re afraid. (You can do so by clicking on the little bubble up by the title of this post.) Then come back tomorrow, and I’ll tell you about another favorite.*This month, I’m joining a bunch of other bloggers in a challenge to write for 31 days on a topic about change. Having struggled with fear (sometimes paralyzing) for a lot of my life and missing much of the living that I know God wants for me, I am on a mission to live unafraid for 31 days straight. And challenging you to join me. And I’m writing about it. You can catch up here if you’ve missed any of the days. Bring a friend, too. It’ll make it more fun. Oh, and here’s a button for you to grab if you have a blog and would like to share the unafraid life (which, btw, I would love).

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