How Do I Overcome Fear? What the Bible Says About Being Afraid

Everybody deals with fear. Maybe you are waiting on a test result. Maybe you are afraid of losing your job, or of being rejected if people really knew you. Or maybe you wonder if God is angry with you.

Fear is a feeling you experience when you foresee a bad future. And those feelings can be fickle. One moment you feel bold. The next, you are shaking in your boots.

The good news is that God does not want you to be overcome by your fears. He wants you to overcome them. I preached a message on how to do that from a letter the apostle Paul wrote to a young pastor named Timothy.

Being afraid does not mean your faith is fake.

Paul wrote to Timothy from prison, near the end of his life. He reminded Timothy of his "sincere faith" (2 Timothy 1:5, NIV). Then, two verses later, he wrote this:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT)

Timothy's faith was real, and he still had fears to face. So if you follow Jesus and still feel afraid, you are not a fake. You are human.

Notice what a spirit of fear steals. It steals your power. Fear can freeze you, like a door frozen shut on a cold morning. It steals your love, because fear makes you focus on yourself instead of others.

It also steals your self-discipline, which some Bibles call a sound mind. There is often a little truth in what you fear and a whole lot of what-ifs. Before long, you are thinking in worst-case scenarios, the exact opposite of faith.

Your fear will not make Jesus leave the boat.

One evening, Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a furious storm hit, and the boat started filling with water. Jesus was asleep on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" (Mark 4:38, NIV).

Doubt during a storm is normal. When life falls apart, most of us don't start with, "God, I trust You." We start by asking where He is.

But notice what happened next. Jesus got up and calmed the wind and the waves (Mark 4:39). Their doubting did not keep Him from calming the storm, and it did not make Him leave them. If you wonder why God allows storms at all, read why God allows suffering if He is good and loving.

Then Jesus asked, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (Mark 4:40, NIV). Fear and faith are connected. Feeling afraid is human, but you cannot live in faith and live in fear at the same time. Now, when you are filled with fear, your first step is not to be hard on yourself. Your first step is to refocus your faith on the love of God.

I am convinced that the most common source of fear is not a lack of faith, but misplaced faith. We put our faith in our health, the economy, or other people. Instead, put your faith in the One who is above you, not in what is around you. There is only One who never fails. It is not me, and it is not you. It is Jesus.

You were never meant to carry your fear by yourself.

Paul also told Timothy, "night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers" (2 Timothy 1:3, NIV). Do you have people like that? The Bible says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2, NIV).

Think about it like this. Try moving a big couch by yourself, and you won't get far. Add one friend, and the weight is cut in half. Put a person on every corner, and it almost feels easy. The weight didn't change, but the support changed.

But nobody can pray for you if they don't know what you are afraid of. So don't show people the ideal you. Show them the real you. At Arroyo, we want to be that kind of spiritual family.

Fear also keeps you on the sidelines. Paul told Timothy to "fan into flame the gift of God" (2 Timothy 1:6, NIV). Fear is like a fire extinguisher on that gift. But when you use your God-given gifts to serve others, your eyes move off your fears and onto God and others.

God's Spirit reminds you that you are His child.

If you have placed your faith in Jesus, God is not just around you. He is within you through His Holy Spirit. And He does not want you living in fear about where you stand with Him.

The Spirit you received "does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again" (Romans 8:15, NIV). Instead, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Romans 8:16, NIV). To testify is to speak up for what is true. On the days you wonder if God still loves you after you mess up, His Spirit reminds you that you are His son or His daughter.

Fear causes you to flee. So how do you begin to flee from fear rather than letting fear cause you to flee? Love.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18, NIV)

If you have placed your faith in Christ, His love has covered all your sins, past, present, and future, so you have no reason to fear His punishment. His love was never based on your behavior, but on His character, because "God is love" (1 John 4:16, NIV). God is not a Father who desires His children to live in fear!

If you have never trusted Jesus, you can trust Him today. God saves us "not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace" (2 Timothy 1:9, NIV). And through Jesus, even death has been destroyed (2 Timothy 1:10).

You might ask, "But doesn't the Bible tell us to fear God?" Yes, but that means seeing Him as great as He really is and giving Him respect and reverence, not being scared of Him.

Run to God and turn your fears into prayers.

Where do you run when you are afraid? We all have a refuge. It just isn't always God. Sometimes it is alcohol or social media. But God offers Himself as your refuge:

"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" (Psalm 46:1-2, NIV).

A refuge is a safe place you run to in times of trouble. That doesn't mean life will always be easy. It means you always have Someone safe to run to, even when you don't feel Him near.

David wrote Psalm 34 about a time when he was running for his life. He was so afraid that he pretended to be insane to escape (1 Samuel 21:10-15). Yet he could say, "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4, NIV).

David didn't just talk to himself about his fears. He talked to God about them. Most of us do the opposite. We get bad news, and the conversation in our heads takes off: It's never going to get better. So turn your fears into prayers.

And start with praise, like David did (Psalm 34:1). Praise actually pushes fear away, because it shifts your focus to a God who is good, even when life isn't. If you wonder whether God really listens, read does prayer really work when God doesn't seem to answer.

Today, you can begin to see your fears flee rather than fleeing because of your fears. Ask God to increase your faith in His love for you. Your faith in His love might fail, but His love for you will never fail.

Daily Practice: Sit down and close your eyes. Think of whatever you are most afraid of, and clench both hands into fists. Then open your palms toward heaven as a way of telling God you are letting go of that fear and opening up to His love. Take a few moments to receive and rest in His perfect love.

Remember, the weight doesn't have to change for the support to change. Send us a prayer request, tell us what you are afraid of, and we will pray for you.

What Does the Bible Say About Loneliness and Feeling Alone?

Maybe you are around people all day, and you still feel alone. Maybe you come home to a quiet house, and nobody asks how your day went. Or maybe you have friends, but not one of them really knows what you are going through.

Feeling lonely makes everything else heavier. In fact, you are most likely to worry when you feel alone. And late at night, the same question keeps coming back: "Why do I feel so alone?"

If that is you, there are two things I want you to hold on to. You are not the only one who feels this way, and God is closer than you feel.

I preached a message from John 15 about making God's love the home your heart lives in. You can watch it here.

Loneliness will tell you that you are the only one.

Elijah was one of the boldest prophets in the Bible. God had just answered his prayer with fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:38). But when Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him, here is what happened:

"Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness." (1 Kings 19:3-4, NIV)

Notice what Elijah did. He left the one person who was by his side and went off alone.

Not all loneliness is something you choose. Sometimes it just shows up. But when we are hurting, many of us do what Elijah did. Rather than struggling with other people, we struggle in silence. And isolation always leads to desolation.

Later, God asked him a question: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:9, NIV). Elijah answered, "I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too" (1 Kings 19:10, NIV).

Was Elijah really the only one left? No. God told him that He still had seven thousand people in Israel who had never bowed down to the false god Baal (1 Kings 19:18). Loneliness told Elijah something that was not true.

Maybe you have believed the same thing. "I am the only one going through this. Nobody knows how I feel, so nobody can help me." I am not trying to make light of what you are going through. Loneliness is real, and it hurts. But you are not alone! Other people have walked through what you are walking through. The devil would love for you to believe that you are alone. Don't believe it.

God is with you in the places you feel most alone.

God did not leave Elijah by himself. He told him to go out and stand in His presence. Then this happened:

"Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." (1 Kings 19:11-12, NIV)

Elijah had seen God work in big, loud ways. God can shout, but this time He came to Elijah in a gentle whisper. And He had been speaking to Elijah the whole time.

In the Old Testament, a man named Joseph was thrown into prison for something he did not do. If anyone had a reason to feel forgotten, it was Joseph. But the Bible tells us that "while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him" (Genesis 39:20-21, NIV).

God did not wait until Joseph got out of prison to be with him. Some of you feel alone in your pain right now, and it feels like God has abandoned you. He has not! He is with you in your pain, just like He was with Joseph. He promises that He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

Now, God's presence won't always change your situation. Joseph stayed in that prison for years. But God's presence will change how you go through it. If God Himself feels far away right now, read what to do when you feel far from God.

How can you be sure God will not leave you? Look to the cross. As Jesus hung there, He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46, NIV). He was forsaken in that moment because He was standing in your place for your sins. Jesus went through the worst suffering so that you could have His presence in your suffering. When you place your faith in Him, you can never lose His presence.

Your heart was made to live in God's love.

Jesus said this to His followers:

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love." (John 15:9, ESV)

There is no way to measure the Father's love for the Son, and Jesus says He loves you the same way. Then He says, "Abide in my love." An abode is a home. It is not a place you pass through from time to time. It is where you live. Jesus wants His love to be the home your heart lives in. In other words, live loved.

I think one reason you might feel so lonely is that your heart was made to be filled with God's love. People matter, and you need them. But no person can give you what only God can give you. That is not a scolding. It is an invitation.

Maybe you have been single for a while, and it has gotten discouraging. You wonder, "Am I ever going to find somebody?" I'm sorry if that is where you are. Many people believe that getting married will make their life complete. It won't. Even a great husband or wife cannot take away all your sadness and all the emptiness in your heart. Only Jesus can complete you.

The good news is that God's love keeps following you. King David wrote, "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6, NIV). Notice the word "follow." You don't have to chase God's love down. It follows you at work, at home, and on your walk to get a cup of coffee.

You don't have to struggle in silence.

Your struggles should not make you run away from God and away from people. They should make you run to God and to people.

God didn't just come near to Elijah. He also reminded him that he was not the only one. The Bible says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12, NIV).

When you are hurting, you need people who can pray with you and encourage you. And when one person is honest about what they are going through, it often gives someone else the courage to say, "Me too." There is freedom in knowing you are not alone.

So take one step toward people this week. Find a church near you and join a small group, so that when you are struggling, you have people to share it with. If you have wondered whether you really need a church, read do you have to go to church to be a Christian?

If you would like someone to talk with you or pray with you, send us a message. Our pastoral team reads every one. And if your loneliness has turned into despair, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night.

Turn down the noise so you can hear God's whisper.

God still speaks in a gentle whisper, mainly through His word and His Spirit. But a whisper is easy to miss when the noise is turned all the way up.

Most of us have noise going all the time: our phones, social media, and TV. Even when we are alone, something is usually playing. God has been speaking. It has just been drowned out.

Today, you can turn down the noise and let God remind you that you are not alone.

Daily Practice: Tonight, put your phone on do not disturb for ten minutes. Open your Bible or a Bible app to John 15:9-13 and read it slowly. Then tell God honestly how alone you have felt. Before you finish, thank Him that He has been with you the whole time.

What Is My Purpose in Life, and Why Am I Here?

Everybody wants their life to count for something. But sooner or later, a question sneaks up on you: Why am I here?

Maybe it hits you late at night when you can't sleep. Maybe it hits after you finally get the job or the house you worked so hard for, and you still feel empty. Or maybe your life feels like it is falling apart, and you honestly wonder what the point is.

The good news is that God has not left you to guess. The purpose of your life is to be with Jesus and to share Jesus with other people.

That might sound too simple, but it comes straight from Jesus. I preached a message from the book of Acts about that purpose, called Propelled Into Purpose.

Only the One who made you can tell you what you were made for.

Imagine you only ever used your phone as a bookmark in your Bible. That would be weird. Why? Because that is not what a phone is for. It would be a waste.

Or imagine using it as a spoon for your cereal every morning. Now you are not just wasting your phone. You are ruining it.

It is the same with your life. When you step outside the purpose God designed you for, you are not only wasting your life. You are ruining your life.

The problem is that the world confuses us about our purpose. A lot of people think the purpose of life is to feel good, look good, or have the goods. None of those things are the purpose of your life. When you live for them, your life starts to feel meaningless, and sometimes it falls apart.

So who gets to say what your life is for? Only the creator of an object has the authority to define the object they created. Think about it like this. I cannot rename the iPhone to the joshPhone because I didn't create it. Steve Jobs did.

God is your Creator. That means you don't invent your purpose. You discover it from the One who made you.

You were made to know God and be loved by Him.

First and foremost, God made you for a relationship with Him: to be loved by Him and then to learn to love Him back.

That means the best thing God could ever give you is not something from Him. It is Him!

Maybe you are reading this and thinking, "I'm not even sure I know God." That is okay. Your first step is not sharing Jesus. Your first step is knowing Jesus. It is knowing that He loves you and that He died for you. If you are ready for that step, here is how to become a Christian.

And if you already know Jesus, being with Him starts today, not someday in heaven. Prayer is how you connect with God in a personal way, so prayer is essential to living out your purpose.

You are still here so other people can know Him too.

Paul, an early church leader, wrote these words from prison: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21, NIV). Paul knew death would bring him face to face with Jesus, but while he lived, his life was about Jesus.

You might ask, "If being with Jesus is the goal, why doesn't God just take me to heaven the moment I trust Him?" Here is why: the purpose of your life is not just to know Jesus, but to show His love to a world that needs it.

There are three things you can do on earth that you can't do in heaven. You can sin, suffer, and share Jesus. Sin is not your purpose. Suffering is not your purpose either. It breaks God's heart.

So which of those three does God want you to do here? Share Jesus. You cannot share Jesus in heaven, because everyone there already knows Him. But plenty of people here don't. That is why Paul told his friends, "it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body" (Philippians 1:24, NIV).

Jesus gave His first followers this same purpose. Right before He went back to heaven, He promised them the Holy Spirit's power and said, "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8, NIV).

Notice the word "witnesses." A witness doesn't just talk about something. They can talk about it because they saw it and experienced it. So being a witness means two things: first, you experience Jesus and His love for yourself, and second, you share Him with other people.

So here is God's purpose for your life: become a follower of Jesus, and then show others who He is. That is why our church's mission is knowing and showing the love of Jesus in the Bay Area and beyond. If you are still wondering about Jesus, start with who He really is and why He matters to you.

The question is not whether God has a plan for your life. The question is whether you are living in it.

God can use your pain to propel you into your purpose.

Maybe you are thinking, "My life doesn't feel like it has a purpose right now. It just hurts."

I want you to know that God doesn't like it when you are in pain. He did not design this world for pain. Sin broke it. But God can take your pain and use it to propel you into your purpose.

After Jesus went back to heaven, the first Christians stayed in Jerusalem. Then "a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria" (Acts 8:1, NIV). Those were the very places Jesus had named.

It was not a plan that got them out of their comfort zone. It was pain. And look at what they did with it: "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went" (Acts 8:4, NIV).

When you go through pain, you can let it push you away from God, or you can let it bring you closer to Him. You can ask God why this happened, and He can handle that. But you can also ask Him what He wants to teach you through it. Your greatest power to help other people does not come from your strengths. It comes from your pain.

If your pain feels too heavy to carry right now, you can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time. Please don't carry it alone. You can also send us a prayer request, and we would love to pray for you.

The more you experience God's grace, the more you will want to share it.

I must admit, when I read about everything Paul went through to tell people about Jesus, I feel guilty, because I do not have nearly the same passion. His passion came from a personal encounter with God's love.

Before Paul followed Jesus, he hunted down Christians. But Jesus appeared to Paul not to judge him, but to accept, change, and use him. The good news is that the same love can reach you.

On the cross, Jesus took your place and paid for all of your sins. It was His life for yours. Then He rose again! When you receive that kind of grace, gratitude wells up in your heart. If He gave it all for you, you will want to give it all back to Him.

Because Jesus really rose from the dead, your whole life should be fully devoted to Him. That is the purpose for which you were created.

In Acts 8, God sent a believer named Philip down a desert road to meet just one man, an official from Ethiopia. Philip "told him the good news about Jesus" (Acts 8:35, NIV), and the man was baptized that same day. God doesn't just love crowds. He loves every single person, and sometimes He sends you into one person's life to show them His love.

I have two questions for you. Firstly, on a scale of one to ten, how passionate are you about sharing Jesus with others? Secondly, who is one person God wants you to share Him with?

Today, you can not only know the love of Jesus personally, but show the love of Jesus to the people God has placed in your life.

Daily Practice: Set a timer for five minutes and talk to God. Thank Him for making you on purpose. Then ask Him to put one person on your heart who needs His love, and write down that name. This week, reach out to that person and ask how you can pray for them.

Does Prayer Really Work When God Doesn’t Seem to Answer?

Maybe you have been praying for the same thing for a long time. It might be a job, a relationship, a healing, or someone you love coming back to God. You have prayed about it for hours, maybe for years, and nothing seems to change.

So you start to wonder, "Does prayer really work? Is God even listening?" And a thought creeps in: "God, if You were good, You would have given me what I prayed for. If You were real, You would have heard me."

Here is the honest answer. Yes, prayer works, and God answers, but not like a vending machine. He answers like a Father: sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait.

I preached a message on how to pray when life is pressing in on you, from the prayer Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane.

God is a Father, not a vending machine.

All of us have used vending machines before. You put in your money, press the right buttons, grab your snack, and walk away.

Sometimes we treat God the same way. We ask Him for what we want, and when we get it, we walk away. When all your prayers are about what you want from God, you have started treating Him like a vending machine. Our prayers often reveal our priorities.

God does not want to deal with you transactionally, but relationally. You were created for a personal relationship with God, and prayer is how you talk to Him and listen to Him.

If you feel like you don't pray enough, you are not alone. I have never heard anyone say, "I pray way too much!" I don't pray as much as I would like to either. But prayer is not a professional act. It is a personal act. You don't need to know everything about the Bible or have your life all together. Prayer is simply a conversation with your Father.

And yes, you can ask Him for things, because He cares about every detail of your life. Jesus put it this way:

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11, NIV)

God answers prayer with yes, no, or wait.

Now, a good parent does not give their kids everything they ask for. A little kid asks, "Dad, can I eat a Lego?" No. "Can I run and dance in the middle of the street?" No. Some of the things kids ask for would hurt them.

It is the same with our Heavenly Father. We say, "Lord, I need this." But God knows your heart better than you do. He knows your future and everyone involved. So He answers with a wisdom only He has. Sometimes He answers yes. Sometimes He answers no. And sometimes He answers wait.

We love it when God says yes. When He says wait, it is frustrating, because we want it now. When He says no, it can be really hard. But when God says yes, He says yes because He loves you. And when He says no, He says no because He loves you.

Sometimes God even says no to good things. Paul planned to visit the church in Rome on his way to Spain, and he asked them to pray for his trip (Romans 15:23-32). But the Bible never records Paul making it to Spain. Was there anything wrong with wanting to share Jesus in Spain? Not at all. It was a good plan. It just was not God's plan.

Paul did get to Rome, but he arrived as a prisoner (Acts 28:16). Even in chains, he could write, "Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel" (Philippians 1:12, NIV).

So a no is not proof that God has stopped listening. If your unanswered prayer is tied to a deep loss, you may also want to read why God allows suffering if He is good and loving.

Some prayers God always answers with yes.

When God says no to one prayer, it is tempting to forget all the times He has said yes. Don't let one no erase them.

And some prayers God will always answer with a yes. Whenever you ask God to save you and forgive you, He will say yes. Whenever you ask Him to strengthen you through His Holy Spirit to do His will, He will say yes.

A desperate father once asked Jesus to heal his son. He told Jesus he believed, and in the same breath he asked Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief (Mark 9:24). Do you think asking God to increase your faith is a prayer He would like to answer with a yes? I think so!

When it doesn't go according to plan, pray like Jesus did.

The night before the cross, Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. His soul was "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" (Mark 14:34, NIV). He knew what was coming: the betrayal, the nails, and the weight of all our sin. But He did not run from His Father. He prayed.

Under pressure, we often do the opposite. We distract ourselves, or we dwell on the problem until bitterness pulls us away from God. But when you are hurting is when you need God the most.

When David was in distress, he cried out to God for help. Later he wrote, "From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears" (Psalm 18:6, NIV). God hears you because He loves you. That doesn't mean He will always change your situation, though He can. But even when your situation stays the same, being heard by God changes you. It reminds you that you are not alone. For help praying honestly, read how Psalm 13 teaches us to lament, ask, and trust God's love.

Notice what Jesus actually prayed:

"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36, NIV)

In the same sentence, Jesus is both asking and surrendering. He tells His Father exactly what He wants, and then He puts it back in His Father's hands. That cup stood for God's judgment on sin. Jesus asked for it to pass from Him. Hours later, He drank it on the cross, so that you and I don't have to.

So ask God for what is on your heart, and then say, "Not what I will, but what you will." The secret to that kind of surrender is knowing that God loves you and has a much better plan for you than you could ever come up with yourself. You won't always understand His purposes. Your job is to trust Him.

Trust God and stay faithful where your feet are.

It is easy to think you are trusting God when everything is going your way. But sometimes you are just trusting your circumstances. The true test of faith comes when life does not go the way you wanted.

The Bible says, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps" (Proverbs 16:9, NIV). Sometimes your plan lines up with God's plan. Other times, God takes your steps in a different direction. His plan does not always mean you will be healthier, wealthier, or more comfortable. But it will always lead you closer to Him.

So stop wishing things were different, and start being faithful where your feet are. Paul could have thrown a pity party in prison. Instead, he stayed faithful, and God used him there.

Think about it like this. When you build a house, you submit your plans to the city. The city can approve them, deny them, or ask for changes. In the same way, submit your plans to God. Your plans will sometimes fail, but His plans for you never fail. "But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations" (Psalm 33:11, NIV).

Today, you can bring God your honest request and trust Him with His answer, whether it is yes, no, or wait.

Daily Practice: Pray about the one thing that weighs on you most. Ask God for exactly what you want, then pray the words of Jesus, "Not what I will, but what you will." Before you finish, write down a few times God has already said yes to you, and thank Him for each one.

If there is a prayer that feels unanswered right now, send us your prayer request. We would be honored to pray with you.

Why Do I Feel So Far From God and Lost in Life?

Do you feel far from God? Maybe there was a time when you prayed and knew He was near. Now your prayers feel empty, and you wonder if He is even listening.

Or maybe you feel lost in life. You are not sure where you are going, and you are not sure God is going with you.

If that is you, hear this first: all of us go through times when we feel far from God. You are not the only one, and you are not too far gone for God to reach you.

It is okay to feel far from God sometimes.

You might be shocked to hear a pastor say that, but it is true. It is okay to feel far from God sometimes. Why? Because God is not a feeling, but a personal being.

Think about it like this. There are times when I feel close to my wife, Jamie, and there are times when I don't feel as close to her. Regardless of how I feel, we are still married. Our feelings don't change the status of our relationship. They only change the experience of it.

The same is true with God. You won't feel as close to Him every day as you did the day you first believed, and that doesn't mean He has left. God's love for you will never change. However, your awareness of His love can change. Too often we get so distracted by the pleasures, pursuits, and people in our lives that we forget how much He loves us.

David knew what it was like to feel far from God. He prayed:

"How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?" (Psalm 13:1-2, NIV)

David asks "How long?" four times, which shows he had likely been feeling far from God for quite a while. There will be not only days, but sometimes entire seasons in your walk with Jesus when you feel far from Him too. So do not be shocked when you go through a season like that.

Tell God the truth about how far away He feels.

On the surface, it may seem like David was not in a good place spiritually. That could not be further from the truth. Being honest with God about your struggles is one of the marks of a thriving spiritual life. David was not trying to fake it to make it. Rather, he told God exactly how he felt.

You can do the same, because God would rather have the honest you than the polished you. Tell Him it feels like He is hiding, and tell Him how long it has been. When you do, you let Him into your struggle instead of trying to tough it out on your own. Being candid with God creates closeness to Him, so be honest with Him when you feel far from Him.

The fog does not mean God has left.

After David is honest, he asks God for help: "Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes" (Psalm 13:3, NIV). He wanted to see and experience God like he had in the past.

Back when our church was East Hills Church in the Oakland Hills, our property had one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. From the viewpoint, you could see the Bay, Oakland, the San Francisco skyline, the Bay Bridge, and the Golden Gate Bridge. On clear days, I could see both bridges easily, but on foggy days it was hard or impossible to see them.

Of course, the fog never made those bridges disappear. My sight did not determine whether they existed. In the same way, when the fog of your feelings clouds your spiritual eyes, God has not gone anywhere.

One night, Jesus' disciples were rowing across a lake in the dark. They could not see Jesus, but Mark tells us, "He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them" (Mark 6:48, NIV). They were not aware of Him, but He was aware of them, and He walked toward them. If you are wondering where God is right now, He is right next to you.

So ask God to clear the fog. He can show up and do anything at any time, and He may just answer that prayer. But there are also times when He intentionally leaves the fog in place, because He wants to test and grow your faith.

At the end of his prayer, David makes a choice: "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me" (Psalm 13:5-6, NIV).

If you cannot feel God today, trust God today for the goodness and love He has already poured out in your life. Jesus already showed you His unfailing love on the cross. He loved you so much that He was willing to die for you. That is real love! The same God who loves you that much is in control of the whole universe, and He is worth trusting, no matter how you feel. "For we live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV).

If you feel lost in life, trust God with your next step.

Maybe you feel lost because your life has not gone the way you expected, and you don't know which way to go. I would say this first: your plan is often not God's plan. That is why the Bible says, "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).

In order to trust God, you have to stop trusting yourself. So instead of praying, "God, make my plan happen," start praying the way Jesus taught us to pray, for God's will to be done in your life, whatever that looks like and wherever it leads.

God doesn't hand us the full ten-year plan. Instead, His word works like a lamp: "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path" (Psalm 119:105, NIV). A lamp lights up the next few steps, not the whole road, and God is asking you to trust Him with today. If you are trying to figure out your next step, start with how to get guidance from God.

Take one small step toward God today.

Today, you can choose to trust in God's unfailing love for you, no matter how thick the fog in front of you is. When you do, your faith will be strengthened, even when God feels far.

Daily Practice: Read Psalm 13 one verse at a time. After each verse, pause and pray. Let each verse guide you as you talk honestly with God about where you are right now.

You don't have to find your way back alone. If you are hurting, please share a prayer request so we can pray for you.

Radical Restoration: How God Brings Us Back When We've Wandered

• Table of Contents (optional):

  • Why We All Need Restoration

  • Step 1: Rid Yourself of False Gods

  • Step 2: Be Real About Your Sin

  • Step 3: Ask God to Rescue You

  • Step 4: Remember What God Has Done

  • Returning Home to God

  Every person experiences brokenness. Sometimes it shows up in our relationship with God. Sometimes it appears in our relationships with others. Other times, it surfaces deep within our own hearts.

  The good news of the gospel is that God specializes in restoration.

  In this message from our Walk Faithfully series through the life of Samuel, we explore a powerful story from 1 Samuel 7 where God restores His people after they had wandered far from Him. Their story reminds us that no matter how broken things seem, God can bring radical restoration when we return to Him.

  For many people in Livermore and throughout the Bay Area, life can feel spiritually dry. Yet God continues to call people back to Himself, inviting them to become part of His work as a river in the spiritual desert around us.

  Why We All Need Restoration

  Restoration is necessary whenever something has been broken.

  The Israelites in 1 Samuel 7 had drifted from God. They had replaced worship of the one true God with devotion to false gods and idols. As a result, their relationship with God suffered.

  While most people today aren't bowing before carved statues, idolatry remains a very real issue. We often take good things and elevate them into ultimate things.

  Success. Status. Money. Relationships. Comfort. Even our own desires.

  Whenever something occupies the place in our hearts that belongs only to God, it becomes an idol.

  Step 1: Rid Yourself of False Gods

  Samuel's first instruction to Israel was clear:

  "Rid yourselves of the foreign gods."

  Before restoration could begin, the people had to identify what was competing with God for their affection.

  A helpful question to ask is:

  What do I believe I must have in order to be happy?

  The answer often reveals what has become an idol.

  God doesn't call us to abandon His gifts. He calls us to worship the Giver rather than the gifts. True restoration begins when Jesus becomes the center of our hearts once again.

  Step 2: Be Real About Your Sin

  After removing their idols, the people gathered together and confessed their sin.

  Confession can feel uncomfortable because we fear rejection. We worry that if people see who we really are, they won't accept us.

  Yet Scripture teaches the opposite.

  Healing begins when honesty begins.

  James 5:16 reminds believers to confess their sins and pray for one another so that healing may occur. Hidden sin continues to wound us, but confessed sin can begin the process of restoration.

  At Arroyo Church, we believe church should be a place where people can be honest about their struggles and experience the grace of God. None of us are perfect. Every one of us is in need of God's mercy.

  Step 3: Ask God to Rescue You

  When the Philistines threatened Israel, the people realized they could not save themselves.

  So they cried out to God.

  Samuel interceded on their behalf and offered a sacrifice before the Lord. God responded by delivering His people from an enemy they could not defeat on their own.

  This points us directly to Jesus.

  Every sacrifice in the Old Testament ultimately points forward to Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

  The gospel is not about earning God's favor through good behavior. It is about receiving the salvation Jesus already accomplished through His death and resurrection.

  The invitation of Christianity is remarkably simple:

  Call upon the name of the Lord.

  When we place our faith in Jesus, we receive forgiveness, restoration, and eternal life—not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us.

  Step 4: Remember What God Has Done

  After God delivered Israel, Samuel set up a stone memorial called Ebenezer.

  Its purpose was simple:

  Remember God's faithfulness.

  Too often, we suffer from spiritual amnesia. We quickly forget the prayers God answered, the grace He showed, and the ways He carried us through difficult seasons.

  Remembering God's faithfulness produces two powerful results:

  Thankfulness for the Past

  When we reflect on God's goodness, gratitude begins to grow.

  We remember His provision. His forgiveness. His protection.

  Thankfulness shifts our focus away from fear and toward worship.

  Faith for the Future

  Remembering God's faithfulness also builds confidence.

  If God was faithful yesterday, He will be faithful tomorrow.

  The same God who carried us through past challenges will continue to walk with us through whatever lies ahead.

  This is why regular spiritual rhythms matter. Prayer. Scripture reading. Worship. Community. These practices continually remind us who God is and what He has done.

  Returning Home to God

  One of the most powerful images of restoration in Scripture is the story of the prodigal son.

  After wasting everything, the son finally returned home.

  But before he even arrived, his father saw him from a distance and ran toward him.

  That's the heart of God.

  When we return to Him, we discover He has been pursuing us all along.

  No matter how far you've wandered, God invites you to come home.

  No matter how broken your story may feel, restoration is available through Jesus Christ.

  And when we return to Him, we discover that radical restoration is possible.

  God's plan has always been restoration. Through Jesus, He invites us to remove our idols, confess our sins, call upon His name, and remember His faithfulness.

  Whether you're exploring faith for the first time or returning after a difficult season, God is ready to meet you with grace.

  As Arroyo Church seeks to be a river in the spiritual desert of the Bay Area, our prayer is that more people would experience the life-changing restoration only Jesus can provide.

Pray Through the Tension: Finding Freedom From Envy Through God’s Presence

• Table of Contents:

  • Why Comparison Feels So Heavy

  • Psalm 73 and the Struggle With Envy

  • How Prayer Changes Perspective

  • God Is Enough

  • Living Free From Comparison

• Have you ever looked around and wondered why life seems easier for everyone else? Maybe you’ve watched people succeed while making selfish decisions, while you’ve tried to honor God and still faced disappointment, stress, or unanswered prayers.
  That tension is real. And Psalm 73 speaks directly into it.
  In this week’s message from Arroyo Church in Livermore, CA, we continued our Practicing Prayer series by exploring how prayer transforms our perspective when envy, comparison, and frustration begin to overwhelm us. Through the honest words of Asaph in Psalm 73, we’re reminded that God welcomes our honesty, meets us in our struggle, and reveals that His presence is better than anything this world can offer.
  In a culture constantly pushing comparison—especially here in the fast-paced Bay Area spiritual desert—it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. But God invites us to draw near to Him and discover that Jesus is enough.

Why Comparison Feels So Heavy

Comparison is one of the most exhausting battles we face. Social media highlights everyone else’s “perfect” life. Success stories surround us. Promotions, vacations, relationships, financial wins—it can feel like everyone else is thriving while we’re barely hanging on.

Psalm 73 begins with a brutally honest confession from Asaph:

“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

Asaph wasn’t an unbeliever. He was a worship leader. A spiritually mature man. Yet even he struggled with envy.

That should encourage us.

Struggling with comparison doesn’t mean you’re failing spiritually. It means you’re human.

Psalm 73 and the Struggle With Envy

Asaph looked around and saw people rejecting God while seemingly living easier, more successful lives. Meanwhile, he was trying to remain faithful to God while walking through hardship.

Sound familiar?

Envy distorts our perspective. It makes us focus on what we don’t have instead of remembering who God is and what He’s already done.

Comparison blinds us to grace.

When we constantly measure our lives against everyone else’s highlight reel, we slowly begin believing the lie that God is withholding goodness from us.

But prayer changes that.

How Prayer Changes Perspective

One of the most powerful moments in Psalm 73 happens when Asaph says:

“Till I entered the sanctuary of God…”

Everything shifted in God’s presence.

His circumstances didn’t suddenly improve. His bank account didn’t change overnight. The people around him didn’t suddenly become righteous.

But his perspective changed.

That’s what prayer does.

Prayer silences the noise of comparison and re-centers us on truth. It reminds us that God sees what we cannot see. It reminds us that eternal things matter more than temporary success.

In a world obsessed with status, influence, and appearance, prayer grounds us in what is eternal.

That’s why at Arroyo Church, we believe prayer is not just a religious activity—it’s a lifeline. It’s where our hearts are transformed.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by envy, frustration, or disappointment, don’t run from God. Bring those emotions honestly before Him.

God can handle your questions.

God can handle your doubts.

God can handle your honesty.

God Is Enough

By the end of Psalm 73, Asaph reaches a completely different conclusion:

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”

What changed?

He realized God Himself was the treasure.

Not success.
Not comfort.
Not approval.
Not possessions.

God.

That’s the invitation Jesus gives all of us today.

In the middle of the Bay Area’s pressure to achieve more, earn more, and become more, Jesus offers something deeper: His presence.

He offers peace that success cannot provide.

He offers joy that circumstances cannot steal.

He offers identity that comparison cannot destroy.

This is why Arroyo Church exists—to help people know and show the love of Jesus in Livermore, the Bay Area, and beyond. In a spiritual desert where many people feel exhausted, disconnected, and spiritually dry, Jesus invites us to become rooted in Him like a river bringing life to dry places.

Living Free From Comparison

Comparison says:
“I need what they have.”

Jesus says:
“You already have Me.”

That changes everything.

When Christ becomes enough, envy begins losing its grip. We stop striving to prove ourselves. We stop obsessing over everyone else’s life. We stop chasing fulfillment in temporary things.

Instead, we rest in God’s love.

We trust His timing.

We walk faithfully with Him.

And from that place of security, we can begin showing His love to others.

Prayer doesn’t always change our circumstances immediately—but it changes us. It gives us God’s perspective. It reminds us that we are deeply loved, fully known, and never alone.

Conclusion:
Maybe today you feel exhausted from comparison. Maybe envy has stolen your joy. Maybe you’ve been questioning whether following Jesus is really worth it.
Psalm 73 reminds us that God welcomes us honestly into His presence. And when we draw near to Him, we discover something greater than temporary success—we discover that Christ is enough.
No matter what tension you’re facing today, bring it to God in prayer. Let Him reshape your perspective. Let Him remind you that His presence is your greatest blessing.
Jesus is enough—today, tomorrow, and forever.