“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
Fear. It’s a
human emotion and experience.
Try as we
might through all manner of vices, addictions, props and assorted coping
mechanisms, we still have instances and sometimes, even eras, in which we are
touched, if not bombarded, by it.
How are you
handling the fear issue in your life?
Scripture
repeatedly tells us not to fear…
“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 when I had seen him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his
right hand upon me, saying: Fear not. I
am the First and the Last.”
Revelation 1:17
“Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of
the wicked, when it cometh.”
Proverbs 3:25
However,
it’s easier said than practiced, isn’t it?
I’m sure
you’ve heard the phrase, “self-fulfilling prophecy.” And, perhaps, the first
person to experience that phenomenon was dear old Job in the Bible. This poor
guy had everything bad happen to him: he lost his family, experienced financial
devastation AND was covered with sores. If ever there was a person enduring
adversity, it was Job.
And he
remarked- okay- whined about his fears realized, again, that self-fulfilling
prophecy thing…
“For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and
that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”
Job 3:25
I’ve heard
it said that fear is faith that something bad will happen to you.
“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his
trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
Proverbs 29:25
It’s about
focus. What do we focus our energy, time and effort on?
“Keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life.”
Proverbs 4:23
There are
two things to remember and not get confused (and no, it won’t be easy).
First, fear
is a human experience. We’re all afraid of something.
But what we
need to remember is this fear is NOT from God…
“For God hath not given us the spirit
of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
So, how do
we begin to reconcile these two concepts? (Again, it’s not easy).
It is,
however, possible to give credence to God’s Word, which is powerful NOT
powerless in our lives…
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my
ways, says the Lord. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My
thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from
heaven, and do not return to it without watering
the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for
the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that
goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and
achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:8-11
Again, it’s
not easy or instantaneous. It requires our decision to put faith in God’s Word.
And here’s just an example of those very words:
“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”
Psalm 139:14
“I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
Isaiah 41:9
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the
way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right hand, and whenever turn to the
left.’”
Isaiah 30:21
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go:
I will guide you with My eye.”
Psalm 32:8
“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a
good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the
Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11
It’s a
lifetime process. And yes, fear can come into it. But God is more powerful than
any fear. He can handle you and me.
“Behold, I am the Lord,
the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”
Jeremiah 32:27
So, where do
we focus our time, our thoughts, our energies, our resources and our very
lives? What do we think about?
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things
are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these
things.”
Philippians 4:8
We don’t
have to let our fears be realized. God can come upon our lives instead.
“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
Copyright © 2015 by
Sheryle Cruse
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