The word “fear”
is spoken of over 500 times in scripture. It
covers everything from our carnal challenges with faith (in example: Mark 4:40) to the proper reverential
fear, or respect, of the Most High (such as Proverbs 9:10). Fear gets a lot of press.
And it’s no wonder. As human beings, we are too easily prone to
experiencing it.
“Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after
those things which are coming on the earth...”
Luke 21:26
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s famous speech gave us all
the fear tutorial in his 1933 First
Inaugural Address...
“... let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself
— nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to
convert retreat into advance...”
Scripture, however,
first mentioned that principle long before
FDR.
“Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not
fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”
Psalm 27:3
“The LORD is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1
But, come on. Most of us
struggle with such bold declarations.
And that leads me to
this adorable kitten here.
When I came across this
image on social media, I didn’t know whether to fist say, “awwh” or bust out
laughing.
In the tiniest, cutest
voice possible, I imagine this kitten to utter those two memorable words, “Fear
me.”
Oh, if in reality, we
responded to our actual fears with that
kind of response. If only we were undeterred, even amused, by fear’s attempt to
intimidates us with its presence.
But most of us are far
from reaching that mark.
Fear, especially,
involving our dysfunctions and addictions, targets the threat associated with
losing our proverbial security blanket. We panic at the thought of “being
without.” It’s stressful to think about being without our comfort, our
amusement, our familiar or our reward. To do so elicits a perception which is
far from the cute kitten post’s response.
Instead of responding
with an “awwh” or a giggle, we see only the biggest, most awful, monster to
dread in our lives.
“My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart
maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my
soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.”
Jeremiah 4:19
But, when we are tempted
to only hear the scariest roar instead of the squeakiest mew, we need to remind
ourselves of scriptural truth.
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee:
be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help
thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Isaiah 41:10
And Truth extends beyond
some faceless, vague unknown God. It’s more loving, connected and available
than we realize, especially in our fear-based moments.
“For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15
And, it’s also eternal.
The Divine has the last word. And that includes any of our fears.
“...And he laid his right hand upon me,
saying: ‘Fear not. I am the First and
the Last.’”
Revelation 1:17
So, the challenge is to view anything in our lives as
handled effectively by the Most High God.
When life says, “fear me,” the Most High responds, “I am
not afraid.”
“Behold, I am the Lord,
the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”
Jeremiah 32:27
Copyright © 2016 by Sheryle Cruse
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