How to Overcome Fear and Find Peace in a Fearful World - Isaiah 8:12
“Do not call conspiracy
everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it." - Isaiah 8:12
The words of Isaiah 8:12 have been a source of both direction and comfort for me over the past three years as I've found myself in a new environment. Where fear threatened to swallow me whole, this verse offered me something different to hold on to and a way to overcome fear with faith.
On this rainy morning, as I'm sitting down with a candle flickering and soft music playing, I'm sensing the Spirit lead me to reflect a bit on this verse - and I'd love for you to join me.
May you find space here to pause, reflect, and abide.
At a glance
The environments we inhabit shape what we fear, what we value, and ultimately what we become. But how do we remain grounded in Christ when the people and culture around us are shaped by fear, anxiety and constant noise?
Drawing on Isaiah 8:12, this reflection explores the subtle ways we assimilate the concerns and attitudes of our surroundings, and how we can become more intentional about what shapes our thinking. Through Scripture, personal reflection and a little psychology, we'll consider how to guard our hearts and minds, find refuge in God, and become people who offer others a different kind of presence: one marked by peace, grace and hope.
The Place Where You Find Yourself is not Spiritually Neutral
I think it's been three full years since we moved from the city to the wine farm. As I've adapted to my new reality of living here, I've processed it often through writing. I've written about moving with faith, figuring out what season of life you're in and learning how to embrace where you are.
But recently something new has surfaced for me.
It's the words of Isaiah 8:12:
“Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it."
Isaiah was writing to a people living in fear for their lives, warning them not to follow the way of other nations or make the political fears their own (Isaiah 8:11).
About ten years ago, I remember a teaching at a church I was part of about Redemptive Gifts. What stood out to me from that whole course was something unexpected that they shared:
There is something beautiful in each community that God can't wait to redeem. It's our work as co-laborers in the Missio Dei to figure out what God is up to in our town, area, or environment, and to find the gold with Him.
Geographic land, towns, cities, and even entire nations are not spiritually neutral; they possess a distinct "spiritual DNA" designed by God sounds to me like something He would do (e.g. becoming a hub of education, a refuge of mercy, or a center of resource generation).
Communities have beautiful things to teach us, too.
It's also corroborated by Scripture in places like Bethel - where Jacob slept in the field, resting his head on a rock, and dreamt of heaven. Genesis 28:16-17 tells us what happened next,
"When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”"
In much the same way, I've seen in my own life how the places where I've lived have not been spiritually neutral. And often, I've not been aware of it.
If we believe that God is working in the world, then He must be up to something where I find myself?
Isaiah 66:1 - "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool."
Does the place I live do anything to me?
If no place is truly neutral, it will surely have an effect on us. Before we moved to this area, I was vaguely aware of what to expect. Older friends and mentors at church warned my husband and me to be on the lookout for certain things that might threaten to extinguish our faith if we weren't careful out here - they mentioned racism and isolation, to name a few.
But I was surprised by one I didn't see coming: f e a r
Assimilation generally means the process of absorbing or blending something new into an existing system. It's what we understand, soak up, absorb, and then blend into to fit in. When something becomes a part of who we are.
We talk about what we think about. And around the dinner table or the braai (like a barbeque), the things that bubble to the top in conversation are not entirely random.
Over the past three years, the new environment has given me a lot to consider.
We gradually absorb the concerns, fears and preoccupations of the people around us.
"And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, 'This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!' And each day, it's up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say, 'No. This is what's important.'" - Iaian Thomas
Fear might resonate with you, not because you live where I do but because of the digital world where we're all neighbors anyway...
When I looked at the world around me in these past three years, I've been surrounded by ancient olive groves and bush vines growing wildly in sandy soils. But when I've looked at my phone (what John Mark Comer humorously calls "the glowing rectangle of doom"), I've seen something different:
With each scroll, more death. More fearmongering. More us-versus-them. More comparison. More noise.
We assimilate. We do what everybody does.
We rarely wake up one morning having become someone entirely different. More often, we absorb little things here and there until one day we realise that the things occupying our minds aren't necessarily the things we would have chosen ourselves.
Psychologists have long studied the influence of social norms on human behaviour. We look to the people around us, often unconsciously, to establish what is normal, acceptable and important. Over time, these shared attitudes can become internalised.
Take a moment to consider:
What conversations have been occupying my thoughts lately?
Where have I allowed someone else's fear to become my own?
What might I need to give less attention to?
What kind of influence am I having on the people around me?
It might sound something like this:
“You can't trust anyone anymore. It's only a matter of time before something happens to us.”
“The world used to be a safer place. You never know what could happen these days.”
“The country is going downhill. I honestly worry about what lies ahead.”
“With the way things are going, I don't know how much longer we'll be able to keep going.”
“Things are so much worse these days. I worry about what kind of world our children will inherit.”
But, God reminds His people through the prophet Isaiah, that they should not give in to f e a r.
One night a few months ago I was reading my Bible at a church worship team gathering when my eyes fell on a strange verse. Isaiah 8:12 - “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it."
And it felt like something suddenly clicked.
I am called to become like Christ, not like the people around me. I am called to be a person of peace - not another voice adding to the urgency, chaos, and fearful decision-making of the world.
I am called to care about what He thinks of me. To live to impress Him.
God's people should not fear what the other people fear or believe every conspiracy they hear. And then He tells them what to do instead (Isaiah 8:13-14a):
"The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread.
He will be a holy place..."
While everybody is looking at everything around them, we are called to look somewhere else. God is called "a holy place" in this passage. He is a place of refuge and safety - where we run to while everything else feels threatening.
Isaiah 8:16-17 -
"Bind up this testimony of warning
and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.
I will wait for the Lord,
who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him."
Even when we cannot see Him - when He hides his face as this verse says - we are called to trust in Him and not in our circumstances or the tangible things of this world. In uncertain times, we can put our faith in our good God.
Overcoming Fear Through Faith
Our attention is not an unlimited resource. And it isn't entirely neutral, either.
We're particularly responsive to information that appears threatening, urgent or emotionally charged. In a digital environment where such information is continually presented to us, it's easy for our perception of the world to become disproportionately shaped by the things that alarm us.
In contrast to this, a passage that has guided me has been Philippians 4:4-9
"4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
What to do instead:
redirect attention, pray, give thanks, and deliberately dwell on what is good.
1 Peter 3:14-15 actually reflects the words of Isaiah 8:12 directly when it tells us what to do:
"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."
So in the same way that I edit what goes into my grocery cart to make healthy choices; I have learned to be rather ruthless with what I'm allowing into my mind. As the saying goes, we become what we behold.
You cannot always choose what you're exposed to, but even then, you can decide how much time you'll dwell on it. Being filled with fear when scrolling through my phone is one thing. Being filled with fear when strolling outside my front door is another.
I don't think God is asking us to become uninformed or indifferent. But there is a difference between knowing what is happening in the world and allowing everything that happens in the world to happen inside of us.
That's what I realized I need in my life.
To be unshaken, even when the world is trying its best to distract me.
Before we moved out here, someone at church gave me a Scripture scribbled on the back of a botanical postcard. It was Hebrews 12:26-29,
"At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' The words 'once more' indicate the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
Over the past three years, it's almost felt like there have been many new options placed before us and some things we've picked up and tried carrying for a while. But now I sense that we are entering a time to decide what will remain. If we're going to stay here - what is going to stay with us?
How can I overcome the fear and anxiety that seem to be so prevalent now?
I'm aware that it might be time for a good ol' pruning from the Vinedresser (John 15) -
What did I pick up that was never mine to carry?
If this place isn't neutral, what has it done to me?
And more importantly, what is God trying to do in me by placing me here?
What does scrolling on my phone fill me with?
How can I be faithful to His way and participate in this place without letting it swallow me whole?
How can I let the Spirit sift me and my ways to align more and more to His?
A Psalm of David echoes this same heart-cry:
Psalm 139:23-24 -
"Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
Just a few verses before Isaiah 8:12, Isaiah uses the imagery of water to describe the difference between trusting God and trusting the powers of the world.
He speaks of the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, which the people have rejected, and contrasts them with the mighty, overwhelming waters of the Euphrates. I find that image rather beautiful.
How often do we overlook the quiet, steady provision of God because we're more impressed by the loud and powerful things happening around us?
Romans 12:2 -
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
How to Gently Lead Others Beyond Fear
Isaiah 8:12 isn't simply telling people not to be afraid.
It's telling God's people not to adopt the fears, assumptions and interpretations of the people around them.
But dwelling on this brought up an ehtical conundrum:
How do I offer empathy to the friend who is sharing something she is genuinely concerned about, while at the same time helping her raise her gaze and meeting His?
Holding both things at the same time requires a certain poise.
There's an interesting psychological distinction between processing something difficult with another person and repeatedly dwelling on it together. Sometimes our conversations become a cycle of revisiting the same problems, speculating about worst-case scenarios and reinforcing each other's anxieties. We might leave feeling understood, but not necessarily any more equipped to face what we're dealing with.
There's a fine line between listening and hearing what someone is sharing and indulging the fear...
I'm no longer letting fear have more than a brief moment.
This reminds me of Peter walking on the water with Jesus in that mighty storm (Matthew 14:22–33). He sank when he took his eyes off his Master - but when he remembered to meet Christ's piercing gaze, his feet steadied.
Saying 'no' to fear in conversation does not mean I do not have compassion for what's being shared. It's a gift I'm offering the person I'm talking to: Surefootedness. A way out of the rat race of rage and angst. A calm spot to sit and a moment to catch a breath. Finding peace in God.
I long to have a conversation without any drama, gossip, or worst case scenario thinking.
It's not boring, it's like a healing balm for our tired souls.
Proverbs 16:24 - "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
A helpful guide I'm trying out is this- Before you speak, ask yourself:
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?
Fear doesn't build; it breaks. Or sometimes it merely points at the cracks, as if we didn't know they're there.
Closing thoughts
I don't think I've mastered this. I'm still learning to recognise the ways my surroundings, the people I spend time with and the things I give my attention to influence my thinking.
But I'm becoming more aware of it.
I'm learning that I don't have to absorb every fear, join every conversation or give every concern a place in my heart. I can pause, return to what I know to be true, and allow God to shape my response instead. Perhaps that's part of what it means to live differently: not to withdraw from the world around us, but to remain rooted in Christ while living in it.
And perhaps part of learning not to see the world through fear is learning to notice it differently again.
There is still so much goodness in the world. The first light settling over the mountains, the smell of rain on dry earth, the sound of laughter around a dinner table, the unexpected kindness of a stranger. There are still things worth looking forward to, people worth trusting, and moments worth being fully present for. If we're not careful, we can become so accustomed to looking for what might go wrong that we forget to notice what is already good.
God placed you there for a reason. He is at work in and through everything around you. He redeems it all. If a good God is present, then, surely, there must be something beautiful, wonderful, and awe-inspiring to look at instead?
Questions for Reflection / Journaling Prompts:
What am I allowing to form me?
Identify: Read Isaiah 8:12 slowly and consider what each one is for you: a conspiracy, a fear, something you dread.
Apply: Read Psalm 139 (it's a short Psalm) and use it to navigate your own heart prayerfully to discern what God might be asking you to shed... What is one thing you might have assimilated to or picked up that was never yours to carry?
Respond: Write a letter to God, talk to Him about this thing and lay it at His feet
Prepare: What is something you can say when people share such things with you? How can you respond?
Try a different perspective on:
GRATITUDE It might sound silly, but try to name 5 things you are grateful for right now.
AWARENESS When you feel fears rise again or your body go into stress-mode, take a deep breath and try to notice one sensory input that you are thankful for in that moment instead:
For example: While someone is raging on about a fear, take a breath, and go inward: What do I smell? What do I hear? What do I taste?
PRAYER We can also turn our fears into prayers instead:
Fear | Prayer |
Our kids' futures are lost. | May our children know Jesus and find their hope in Him. |
Our country is going downhill. | Lord, may Your kingdom come and Your will be done in our country. |
You can't trust anyone anymore. | May we be people who reflect Your faithfulness, honesty and love. |
The world is no longer safe. | Lord, be our refuge and teach us to trust You rather than live in fear. |
We don't know what the future holds. | May we walk in faith, knowing that You hold our future. |
Things are only going to get worse. | Help us to notice Your goodness, hold on to hope and be a light to those around us. |
This is not toxic positivity, it is partnering with our God who is able to still all our fears.
Revisit the Bible verses used:
Isaiah 8:11–13 – Not adopting the fears of others; honouring God as holy.
Philippians 4:4–9 – Rejoicing, praying, and directing our thoughts.
1 Peter 3:14–15 – Not fearing what others fear; honouring Christ.
Hebrews 12:26–29 – What can be shaken; God's unshakeable kingdom.
Romans 12:2 – Resisting conformity; renewing our minds.
John 15:1–8 – God, the Vinedresser, prunes.
Psalm 139:23–24 – Asking God to search our hearts.
Matthew 14:22–33 – Peter walks on water; keeping our eyes on Jesus.
Isaiah 66:1 – God's throne; His dwelling place.
Proverbs 16:24 – Gracious words bring healing.
Prayer
Lord, You are continually forming me evermore into the likeness of Christ.
Yet, at the same time, the world is pulling me by the hand and trying to tell me what matters.
God - I want to be a person of singular focus. Living for an audience of one.
Please sift me, search my heart, and lead me in Your way.
While I offer empathy and kindness to those who fret, would You lift my gaze above the waves? Help me see You instead of the storm?
May I always continue to abide in the Vine, Amen.
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