Angie Smith - What Women Fear: Walking in Faith that Transforms

Angie Smith has the rare gift to write a non-fiction page turner as good as any fiction book Ive read. As her words tumbled out in raw honesty, fresh hope spread before me. Her teachings on fear are comforting, practical, and gut honest. I cant wait for you to read this life-changing book. What Women Fear is one of my favorites this year. Honestly, I think it will stay next to my bed for a very long time.

Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times best-selling author of fourteen books including, Made to Crave

You dont have to be around Angie Smith very long to fall in love with her. She is funny and transparent with a passionate love for Christ. In What Women Fear Angie holds up a mirror so that we can see ourselves from every angle, the thoughts we display on the front shelves of our lives and those we hide. The greatest gift tucked into this book is the overwhelming picture of the mercy of our God who understands our fears and invites us to stand beside Him in the rain and let His love wash us clean.

Sheila Walsh, author of The Shelter of Gods Promises

Whatever high wire youre walking right now, there really is nobody you want at the other end of the line like Angie Smith. And this rare gem of a book is like a steadying, sure handtaking you right into His presence in ways you never imagined. Vivid, profoundly biblical, yet girlfriend real with just-the-medicine-you-need-funny, every page is reviving hope for every woman. Simply, Angie Smith is a Bible teacher for such a time as this.

Ann Voskamp, New York Times best-selling author of One Thousand Gifts

Copyright 2011 by Angie Smith

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

9781433673917

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 248.843

Subject Heading: FEAR \ WOMEN \ FAITH

Unless otherwise designated, Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, (NIV), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan, all rights reserved.

Also used: the English Standard Version (ESV) copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2007 and The Message, the New Testament in Contemporary English, 1993 Eugene H. Peterson, published by NavPress, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Also used: the New American Standard Bible, (NASB), the Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995; used by permission.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 15 14 13 12 11

For my father,

the man who made it easy to believe I could trust my Father.

Introduction

DID HE REALLY SAY THAT?

The Question That Started The Questions

I have long been fascinated by the questions God asks in Scripture. Its obvious He knows the answers, so why does He ask? We see this throughout the Old Testament as well as the New, and it is such a beautiful image of the way Christ loves us. He gives opportunity after opportunity for us to share whats on our hearts with Him.

As I read, I noticed that many times He responded to someone who appeared to be struggling with fear by asking a question of them. And I also noticed that at first glance they seemed like kind of strange questions. I mean, the disciples are clinging to life in a boat thats being thrown around the ocean and the best He can do is ask them where their faith is? Seriously? Or when Hes wrestling Jacob, who is fearful about facing off with his brother the next day, and God asks him what his name is. Doesnt He know his name? I mean, Hes God, right?

Of course He knows Jacobs name, just like He knows yours and mine. What He wants from this interaction is a confession of sorts; an acknowledgment of who Jacob is in his own eyes.

Scripture repeatedly shows us how God uses questions to reveal something about the heart of the person He is speaking to. Each question was for their benefit so they could be aware of a lesson He was teaching them. There is accountability and forced recognition of the words we have in response to these questions, and I believe there is great wisdom to be gained by considering them.

Interestingly, the very first question posed in the Bible is not spoken by God, but rather by Satan himself disguised as a snake. It is a simple, profound sentence that changes everything.

We learn that Satan doesnt have to force us to do anything sinful; he merely needs to plant a seed of doubt and let us tangle ourselves up in it. What he does in the Garden of Eden is introduce a concept that haunts each and every one of us every day of our lives.

Adam and Eve have been told not to eat fruit from one particular tree and they dont seem to be too concerned about that prohibition until the snake makes a casual comment.

Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden? (Genesis 3:1, italics mine).

Did He? Because Im wondering if youre sure you heard Him right. Maybe theres a little room for negotiation, Eve. I mean, it could have been a misunderstanding, right?

Eve responds by saying, We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die (Genesis 3:23 ESV).

Reading this makes me think of my daughter Ellie, who is a strict rule-keeper. What makes me smile in both instances is the immediate desire to defend the rules. Its entirely possible that God told Eve not to touch the tree, but we dont see that anywhere in Scripture. He tells her not to eat from it, but He never says anything about touching it. Maybe like my Ellie she had put up a little extra protection in her mind so she wouldnt break the eating rule.

But, in the event that she thought she had misunderstood now that would be different

Satan doesnt miss a beat. He has planted the seed of doubt in her mind and then he goes in for the kill.

Okay, so you want to keep the rules. Fine. But do you know why He doesnt want you to eat? Because you could be wise like He is, and He doesnt want that. You wont die, youll just be a little more like God.

Well, that does it. Eve grabs herself some fruit and then offers a bit to her husband.

I like to imagine the conversation that happened before the fig leaves were added to wardrobe.

Eve! What are you thinking? God told us we cant eat that stuff!

Adam, its fiiiiiine . I just met the nicest talking snake and he assured me there was a little confusion about that. We arent going to die, were going to get wiser!

Adam sure doesnt stick up for the old rulebook. He dives right in without any apparent rebuttal, and immediately everything changesnot just for them, but for all of us.

Never once did Satan tell her to eat the fruit; all he did was ask her if she was sure.

And then I think she wondered if God really had her best interest in mind.

We arent so different, are we?

At this point, sin enters the world, and fear comes right along with it. As Adam and Eve sew up their new loincloths, they know they have made a mistake and that they are going to be in trouble.

They act out of fear, and so do we. We do it in all kinds of ways, and while its different for each person, the heart of it is the same. We are responding to the lie of Satan each and every time we run. Fundamentally, every single fear comes from the lie spoken by the enemy in a garden designed to be a haven: Are you sure? Are you really, really sure? Because you are staking your life on a claim that you might have just misunderstood. God says He is good is He? He tells you He has your best in mind does He? He boasts that He is almighty, all-knowing, all together trustworthy is He?