Faith Over Fear: Finding God’s Peace in Uncertain Times
Life has a way of presenting us with unexpected challenges that can trigger fear, anxiety, and doubt. As a mom of a cancer survivor, I’ve learned that fear can consume you and rob you of the joy of today if you let it take the upper hand. That moment when the doctor first said the word “cancer” about my six-month-old daughter remains etched in my memory—a moment of fear that threatened to define our family’s entire future.
But over the years, I’ve discovered that God’s word offers us a powerful alternative to living in the grip of fear. The Bible is filled with specific Bible verses about faith over fear that can transform our anxious hearts and renew our minds in difficult times.
The Reality of Fear in Our Lives
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4, ESV)
Everyday, evil seems to take center stage. Whether it’s in the media describing terror an ocean away or in our own backyard, the world seems overcome by fear.
People are putting their reliance on objects and people who will only disappoint. We’re arguing for and against big government, for and against gun control, for and against increased security along the border, and we each are taking positions of fear. Some are fearing for the individual well-being of others, some for their individual safety and security. Some are simply terrified for terror’s sake.
Sometimes prayer feels like empty words falling on deaf ears. I have found that in those moments it is because I have lost focus. I have let my eyes slip from the Creator and Savior of the universe. Instead, my vision has become limited and self-focused. The evil around me looms higher and I succumb to fear. When I put my eyes back on Christ Jesus, it is then that I am comforted.
Evil isn’t suddenly lurking around every corner. Evil has been here from the beginning. Every human being who has walked this earth whether a believer in Christ or not has had to combat evil in some form.
Our world today seems to value peace through strength—a peace that rules through striking fear in others. But as believers, we’re called to stand firm against this mentality. By learning not to fear and to trust in God alone, we actually defy unjust authority and remind them they do not hold power over us. Fear is of the enemy, not of God.
God’s Presence in Our Fear
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3, NIV)
When I was a military spouse and my soldier was deployed, weekends and evenings would fill up quickly. I filled the empty space with busy noise. The kids and I tried to hide the ache of missing him with gymnastics, martial arts, drama practices, church meetings, play dates—honestly there were too many things I said yes to to name. It was easier to hide our pain than to rest in the promises of God’s comfort.
But the truth was that the lonely empty nights still waited for me.
Filling the emptiness only postponed the pain.
Truth is More Powerful Than Denial
Fear filled the emptiness when we stopped long enough to think about it. Fear of never seeing him again, or of seeing him changed, or of losing his friends. War changes people. No one goes off to war and comes home untouched. But our strength and comfort came only from God, not being busy or too preoccupied to admit our fears.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, but the reality of war that loomed over our heads when my soldier was deployed made us confront this truth with every breath.
I can trust God. You can trust God.
God does not cause evil and pain. There is no morbid heavenly pleasure derived from our suffering. The truth is that our world is filled with limitations, with natural laws, with bad choices, and with consequences paid by both the guilty and the innocent.
The beautiful comfort that God gives is that of presence. We are never abandoned. Even in our darkest valley, God is with us.
Faith: The Antidote to Fear
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV)
It is easy to believe in a good God when things are going well. But God’s goodness does not change. It is the memory of God’s faithfulness, of what has been done in the past recorded in the pages of Scripture and in the testimony of our own lives, that helps us cling to hope of what God will do in the future.
In the midst of health issues, family dysfunction, and the ever-present terror of night that can grip our hearts with anxiety, God’s promises stand firm. Last week, a dear friend shared how she found herself consumed with anxious thoughts over her child’s future. As we sat across from each other, coffee in hand, we reminded ourselves of God’s truth—that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, ESV).
Faith isn’t the absence of fear; it’s the decision to trust God in spite of it. When our faith muscle grows stronger through exercise in tough times, our feelings of fear begin to lose their power over us. In the bathroom mirror each morning, I remind myself: “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 Journey from Fear to Trust
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)
Trusting God doesn’t always come naturally, especially when we’re facing difficult paths of life. When my daughter was diagnosed with cancer, the idea of trust seemed almost like a sly request—how could I trust when everything around me was falling apart? But it was precisely in that difficult time that I learned the true meaning of trusting God rather than leaning on my own understanding.
In the Beyond Comfort workbook, I explore this journey from fear to trust in greater depth. It’s about stepping beyond what feels safe and embracing what God has called us to, even when—especially when—it stretches us beyond our comfort zones. It is full of practical steps to move from a fear of others to truly embracing our calling to love our neighbors.
The fear of the Lord—a reverent awe of God—is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10, NIV). This healthy fear displaces all other fears. When we grasp that our Heavenly Father holds us in His righteous right hand, the grip of fear begins to loosen.
Practical Steps for Overcoming Fear
1. Identify Your Fear
In times of uncertainty, we must first identify exactly what we’re afraid of. Is it failure? Rejection? Loss? Pain? Death? Once we name our fear, we can bring it before God instead of letting it hide in plain sight.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3, NIV)
2. Replace Fear with God’s Truth
For every heart-pumping doubt, there is a specific promise in God’s word that addresses it. When fear of man threatens to paralyze us, we can remember that perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18, NIV). When we worry about provision, we can recall how God cares for the birds of the air (Matthew 6:26, NIV).
3. Seek God’s Presence
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV)
In the presence of God, fear cannot thrive. Through prayer, worship, and meditation on Scripture, we position ourselves to experience God’s peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7, NIV). This isn’t just a momentary relief but a transformation that comes through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I’ve found that in the middle of the darkest night, when sleep eludes me and anxious thoughts threaten to take over, simply whispering the name of Jesus Christ can bring calm to my storm. There’s power in acknowledging God’s presence right where we are.
4. Surround Yourself with Faith-Filled Community
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20, NIV)
We weren’t meant to face our fears alone. When flows of leadership changes, health concerns, or relationship challenges trigger our fears, we need others who can speak faith when our own faith falters. Sometimes it’s the faith of others that carries us until our own faith recovers.
God’s Promises for Times of Fear
The Bible contains over 365 commands not to fear—that’s one for every day of the year! Here are some of the most powerful Bible verses about faith over fear that have anchored me through difficult times:
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, NIV)
This verse reminds us that God’s hand holds us securely, even when everything else seems to be shifting.
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” (Psalm 94:19, NIV)
In my most anxious moments, I’ve discovered the sweet reminder that God’s consolation isn’t just a pat on the back—it’s a deep joy that comes from knowing we’re held in the grip of His mighty hand.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27, NIV)
The peace of God isn’t dependent on our circumstances. It’s not the world’s fragile peace that can be disrupted by the slightest change. It’s His own peace—steady, enduring, and available even in the midst of storms.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:7-9, NIV)
This powerful verse reminds us that our anxieties and fears aren’t meant to be carried alone. God invites us to cast them—to throw them completely—onto Him. Why? Because He cares for us deeply and personally. This isn’t just about getting rid of our worries; it’s about recognizing where fear often originates. The enemy seeks to paralyze us with fear, hoping we’ll become ineffective, doubtful, and isolated. But standing firm in faith is our resistance strategy. When we refuse to let fear control us, we’re actively resisting the enemy’s primary tactic. By trusting God with our anxieties, we acknowledge both His love for us and His superior power over anything that threatens us.
When We Feel Far from God’s Promises
There have been many times in life where I have felt overwhelmed, but none as strongly as the day my 6-month-old became a patient at St. Jude Children’s hospital. She was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Retinoblastoma, and our world turned into a whirlwind of doctors and fear.
During one of the early visits, I was alone. Katie had just gone back for her MRI. Wrapped in a blanket and feeling as if the waiting room was at negative 20, I was rocking back and forth, my knees to my chest, crying. A woman approached me. I cannot remember one detail about her other than she touched me. She sat down next to me and asked if she could pray for me. I don’t remember answering. She prayed, a simple prayer—one that asked God to remind me that He was there, one that asked that God comfort me, and one that asked for healing if it was in His will.
For a long time I lost sight of God’s hand in our journey. The miracle I had wanted did not come—complete and total healing. My daughter lived. Yet all I saw was how God had failed. The idea of God healing Katie if it were in His will angered me because my vision was limited.
God Gave Me a Miracle
God did heal my daughter, He gave me a miracle. But the story God wrote was not the story I would have written, and I was angry. I resented everyone who reached out pointing me back to God’s loving arms. My faith faltered because for the first time I felt unsafe with a God who had promised to always be there.
Today, I can honestly thank God for this journey, for the path we walked down, for the lessons learned along the way, for the friends and the blessings that have come with the struggles.
God’s miracles do not always come in the packages we desire. That woman who touched me and prayed for me probably walked away thinking her words fell on deaf ears, more than likely all she left with was feeling my anger and hurt. Her words and her kindness stayed with me.
Through my anger, I never forgot her kindness and her desire to help me. She will never know how she touched my life, she may have forgotten, but I will never forget her and the moment our lives crossed.
What I really want to say is this: God’s plan is better than mine. Miracles come in many packages. And when God places a person on your heart to reach out to in kindness, don’t hesitate, do it.
She was a reminder that in our darkest most difficult moments, God is there. God reaches out and offers us strength. God is our refuge. The love of God reaches into our most vulnerable moments and sits with us in our pain.
Faith That Sustains in the Long Journey
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)
The journey from fear to faith isn’t usually a one-time event—it’s a daily choice to trust God rather than fear. Our world will continue to present us with reasons to fear, but we have access to a peace that transcends understanding.
When unbelief gains a foothold in our hearts, when we’re tempted to contain God within the box of our holiness checklists, when our little faith seems inadequate for our big challenges—those are precisely the moments when God invites us to experience His faithfulness in new ways.
The God of hope promises to fill us with joy and peace as we trust in Him (Romans 15:13, NIV). This isn’t a promise for some distant future in the promised land—it’s for now, in the midst of our own trouble, in the area of our lives where fear seems strongest.
From Fear to Faith
Fear is not our destination—it’s merely a stop along the journey. Through the word of Christ dwelling richly in us, through the absolute belief that Father God holds us in His mighty hand, we can move from fear to faith, from anxiety to assurance, from terror to trust.
Hold tight to these Bible verses about faith over fear, and continue to search your Bible for more.
In these uncertain times, whether you face health issues, economic concerns, or relational challenges at most inconvenient times, we have an anchor for our souls: the love of God that surrounds us and upholds us. As I’ve learned in my own journey through childhood cancer, deployments, and divorce, God doesn’t always remove our challenges, but He faithfully walks with us through them.
It Starts Now
The eternal life we’re promised isn’t just about the future—it begins now as we learn to exchange our fear for faith, our anxiety for peace, and our questions for trust. And though we may still face the fowler’s snare and the terror of night, we can rest in the shelter of the Most High, knowing that the good things God has prepared will come to us in His proper time.
May the Lord bless you and keep you in perfect peace as you trust in Him, not just in spite of your fears, but through them.
What Bible verses about faith over fear have been most meaningful to you? How has God helped you overcome fear in your own life? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s encourage one another in this journey of faith.
List of Bible Verses about faith over fear that are mentioned above
