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HOW
TO HANDLE FEAR PART 2
Webster says that "fear" is
"an unpleasant,
often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger"
and is often manifest by "painful
agitation in the presence of or anticipation of danger".
Someone
has written that
“Fear is
the wrong use of imagination. It is anticipating the worst, not the best
that can happen.”
Worry which is closely related to
fear has been defined as
“a
small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind until it cuts a
channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”
Not a bad
definition!
Fear is the
feeling of anxiety, dread, or terror caused by the nearness of danger, and
it can impel us to flee our immediate situation. Everyone experiences fear
in one form or another throughout life.
Fear wears
many faces—being worried about what others may think of you, or being
anxious about getting accepted by others or being nervous while performing
in public or refusing to speak in public.
Fear is the
knot in the pit of your stomach that makes you wish you could just
disappear. In a world filled with danger and uncertainty, one thing
is certain—we cannot escape fear. So as believers we want to understand
how we are to respond when we feel afraid. The Bible uses several words
related to fear including afraid, terror, dread, anxious, tremble, shake,
and quake over 850 times.
Fear and anxiety
although similar are distinct.
Fear is an immediate
and intense internal alarm system that alerts us to the presence of danger
and rivets one's focus on the primary goal of protection, by either to
fighting or taking flight from perceived danger.
Anxiety on the
other hand is the pervasive feeling of apprehension that lingers long
after the danger has subsided. Anxiety is that nagging feeling of dread
which encompasses worrying about future negative events that are both
unpredictable and uncontrollable.
The first mention of of fear is
found in the Garden of Eden, after sin had entered the world. Moses
records that
"eyes of both of (Adam and Eve) were opened,
and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and
made themselves loin coverings. And they heard the sound of the
LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his
wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of
the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where
are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was
afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." (Ge
3:7, 8, 9, 10).
When sin entered the perfect
environment, mankind died spiritually, Adam and Eve were alienated from
God, and their nakedness and alienation resulted in fear of God. The God of love had
become an object of terror. Note their first reaction as the
result of fear
was to hide! God never meant for mankind to live in
fear. But when sin entered the world, so did guilt. And
guilt produced fear, and fear made Adam want hide. So fear was related to the
introduction of sin into the world. (For more
click here or
here or
here) There was no fear on earth until
Satan and sin entered the Garden. Since this first terrifying encounter in the
Garden, the human race has lived with the constant threat of
fear, for
all although
"through one man (Adam) sin entered into the
world and death through sin,... death spread to all men, because all
sinned" (Ro 5:12-note).
Note fear is not necessarily a sin although it may be a consequence of sin. In one sense all who have never trusted Christ
as Savior, have good reason to fear God's righteous judgment, for
"it
is a terrifying (fearful, dreadful, horrifying) thing to fall into the hands of the living God"
(Hebrews 10:31-note)
"for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29-note)
"if
anyone's name (is) not found written in the book of life, he (will be) thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation
20:13-note).
On the other hand, all who have by grace been
saved though faith do not need to fear meeting their Lord and Maker
"for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans
8:1-note)
As believers
we must recall to our mind that we...
"have not received a
spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but have received a spirit
of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15-note)
And yet it is because
believers still live in bodies of flesh and in a world that is corrupt and
fallen, that fear is a reality we must deal with until the day we are
glorified and free from the contamination and corruption caused by sin.
"Somehow the
idea has grown among Christians that fear is an improper motive;
that if it be accepted at all, it is base and inferior. But Scripture
never takes that position. Everywhere, from Genesis to Revelation, and
especially in Genesis and Revelation, the fear of the Lord is extolled as
a very proper and highly desirable motive for living. In fact, it is
regarded as foundational. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Pr 1:7). The
psalmist exhorts us, "Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear
him lack nothing." (Psalm 34:9), and declares that a man
reaches a stage of great danger when there is "no fear of God before his
eyes"(Psalm 36:1)."
In sum, a good, godly fear of
Jehovah describes the fear which has conquered all of the other fears
related to our sinful, guilty nature (click
here for devotional by Spurgeon). When we make a conscious, choice
to fear the Lord (as shown by our
actions...be wary of deceiving yourself by saying
you fear but not living accordingly), you need not
fear anything else.
Peter writes that
if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each
man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon
earth. (see note
1 Peter 1:17)
This right kind of godly fear serves to motivate one to seek Him and to
refuse evil.
Fear God, you
saints, and you shall then
Know what is right to fear;
Make you His service your delight;
Your wants shall be His care.
When we fear the Lord, we need not
fear bad people or bad news because we know that God is in control of all circumstances,
and causes
"all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who
are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28-note).
We may not know what the future
holds, but we can trust the One Who holds the future. So place your faith
in Christ and He will put your fears to rest.
In the Old Testament, we see an illustration of this principle
of trust in the Lord serving as a shield against fearful thoughts. At that
time King Ahaz of the southern tribe of Judah faced a crisis because of an impending invasion
by the Assyrian army. The kings of Israel (the northern 10 tribes) and Syria
(Aram) wanted King Ahaz to join
them in an alliance, but Ahaz refused, so Israel and Syria threatened to
invade Judah. But behind the scenes, King Ahaz made an alliance with Assyria! The
people of Judah considered Isaiah a traitor because he said that King Ahaz
was wrong to rely on Assyria. It was against this background that
God counseled Isaiah not to walk in the way of the people of Judah,
saying
"You are not to say, 'It is a conspiracy!' In regard to all that
this people call a conspiracy, and you are not to fear what they fear or
be in dread of it. It is the Lord of
hosts (click to study and meditate on God's Name, Jehovah Sabaoth) Whom you should regard as holy
(more literally "Jehovah
Sabaoth, Him you must set apart") and He shall be your fear, and
He
shall be your dread." (Isa 8:12, 13)
God is telling His man Isaiah
"Don't
fear men or adverse circumstances. Set Me apart and fear Me."
Peter
writing to believers who were suffering for the sake of righteousness
quoted (Is 8:12, 13)
exhorting them to
"not fear their intimidation and (to) not be troubled
(stirred up, agitated)" (see note
1 Peter 3:14).
Peter then explains that for the believers to handle
their fear they should
"sanctify
Christ as Lord (quoting Isa
8:13a
substituting "Christ" for "Jehovah")in (their) hearts, always
being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account
for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1Peter
3:15-note).
As Christians,
when we are faced with adverse people or circumstances, we may be tempted
to give in to our fears but Peter says that if we
“sanctify Christ as Lord” in our hearts (or like the old
hymn says "Turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful
face [then] the things of this earth will grow slowly dim in the
light of His glory and grace"
play hymn), we need not fear mean men or
menacing circumstances. What does it mean to “sanctify Christ as Lord” in
our hearts? It means to turn everything over to Him, and to live only to
please Him and glorify Him. It means to fear displeasing Him rather than
fear what men might do to us. How wonderfully this approach simplifies our
lives! It is Matthew 6:33, Romans 12:1; Romans 12:2 (click notes
Mt 6:33,
Ro 12:1;
Ro 12:2)
combined into a daily attitude of faith that obeys God’s Word in spite of
consequences. It means being satisfied with nothing less than the will of
God in our lives (Jn 4:31, 32, 33, 34).
Jesus addresses the fears of
his disciples with three gentle exhortations. The particular fear Christ
discussed is explained in Mt 10:32, 33: the fear of confessing Christ
openly before men.
(1) "Therefore (read
the entire chapter for the context)do not fear them
(in context those who would cause the disciples trouble and
difficulty), for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed,
and hidden that will not be known." (Mt 10:26).
Jesus' point is that believers should not fear because they know that one
day God will vindicate them. Disciples need not fear trouble from men now,
because we look forward to the promise that in the end God will make
everything right. All truth and goodness and all falsehood and wickedness
will be seen for what they really are.
(2) "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are
unable to kill the soul; but rather fear (reverential respect and awe
combining elements of admiration, fear, wonder and a lofty concept of God)
Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Mt
10:28
click
devotional)
Don't fear death, for with believers it is a defeated foe
"O DEATH,
WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? The sting of
death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who
gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Cor 15:55, 56,
57)
The second reason
for learning not to fear men emerges from the fact that the worst men can
do does not match the worst God can do.
(3) "Thereforedo not fear; you are of more value
than many sparrows." (Mt 10:31)
In Jesus' day, sparrows were relatively valueless, yet even this most
insignificant of little birds cannot fall (Greek word can mean "hop") or
even hop on the ground outside of the gaze of their Creator's attentive
eye. Similarly God's knowledge of His children is so keen that He
knows about even every spiritually inconsequential hair on our head. How
much more is He concerned about our spiritual well being. Since God's
children are so very dear to Him, how can we be anxious and fearful,
knowing of such intimate care and protection from our heavenly Father?
WHEN THE STORM COMES
HOW DO YOU RESPOND?
FEAR OR FAITH?
"And on that day, when evening
had come, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side." 36
And leaving the multitude, they took Him along with them, just as He
was, in the boat; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there arose
a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so
much that the boat was already filling up. 38 And He Himself was in
the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to
Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 39 And being
aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush,
be still." And the
wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them,
"Why are you so timid
(fearful)?
How is it
that you have no faith?"
41 And they became very much
afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the
wind and the sea obey Him?"
Fear leads to godlessness because
it opposes faith. Note how the disciples were forced into godlessness
through their fear of the storm.
Warren Wiersbe comments that
"The storm described
here must have been especially fierce if it frightened experienced
fishermen like the disciples. There were at least three good reasons why
none of the men in the ship should have been disturbed, even though the
situation appeared to be threatening.
Three Reasons The Disciples
Should Have Had Faith & Not Fear
1) They had His promise that they were going to the other
side (Mk 4:35).
His commandments are always His enablements and nothing can hinder the
working out of His plans. He did not promise an easy trip, but He did
promise a guaranteed arrival at their destination.
2)
The Lord Himself was with them, so what was there to fear? They had
already seen His power demonstrated in His miracles, so they should have
had complete confidence that He could handle the situation. For some
reason, the disciples did not yet understand that He was indeed the Master
of every situation.
3)
They could see that Jesus was perfectly at peace, even in the
midst of the storm. This fact alone should have encouraged them. Jesus was
in God’s will and knew that the Father would care for Him, so He took a
nap. Jonah slept during a storm because he had a false sense of security,
even though he was running from God. Jesus slept in the storm because He
was truly secure in God’s will. “I will both lay me down in peace, and
sleep, for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8).
"Lord Don't You Care?"
How
often in the trials of life we are prone to imitate the faithless
disciples and cry out, “Lord, don’t You care?” Of course, He cares! He
arose and rebuked the storm, and immediately there was a great calm. But
Jesus did not stop with the calming of the elements, for the greatest
danger was not the wind or the waves: it was the unbelief in the hearts of
the disciples.
Our greatest problems are within us, not around us. This
explains why Jesus gently rebuked them and called them “men of little
faith.” They had heard Him teach the Word and had even seen Him perform
miracles, and yet they still had no faith. It was their unbelief
that caused their fear, and their fear made them question
whether Jesus really cared. We must beware of “an evil heart of unbelief”
(see Hebrews 3:12-note).
The disciples were afraid, but Jesus
was not! He kept on sleeping, confident that His Father was completely in
control (Ps 89:8, 9). The disciples failed this test of
faith because they did not lay hold of His word that He was going to the
other side. It has well been said that faith is not believing in spite of
circumstances; it is obeying in spite of feelings and consequences. The
disciples looked around and saw danger, and looked within and saw fear;
but they failed to look up by faith and see God. Faith and fear cannot
dwell together in the same heart.
Sometimes the Lord calms the storm.
Sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms his child.
C H Spurgeon
once wrote...
When prayer engages God on our
side, and when faith secures the fulfillment of the promise, what cause can
there be for flight, however cruel and mighty our enemies?
Exodus 3:12
A Man without Fear
And he said, Certainly I will be
with thee.—Exodus 3:12
OF course, if the Lord sent Moses on
an errand, He would not let him go alone. The tremendous risk which it
would involve, and the great power it would require, would render it
ridiculous for God to send a poor lone Hebrew to confront the mightiest
king in all the world and then leave him to himself. It could not be
imagined that a wise God would match poor Moses with Pharaoh and the
enormous forces of Egypt. Hence He says, “Certainly I will be with
thee,” as if it were out of the question that He would send him alone.
In my case, also, the same rule will
hold good. If I go upon the Lord’s errand, with a simple reliance upon His
power and a single eye to His glory, it is certain that He will be with
me. His sending me binds Him to back me up. Is not this enough? What more
can I want? If all the angels and archangels were with me, I might fail;
but if He is with me, I must succeed. Only let me take care that I act
worthily toward this promise. Let me not go timidly, halfheartedly,
carelessly, presumptuously. What manner of person ought he to be who has
God with him? In such company it behoveth me to play the man and, like
Moses, go in unto Pharaoh without fear. (Spurgeon - Faith's Checkbook)
No Need
for Fear Robert Murray McCheyne
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear"
-- 1 John 4:18
Twice God spake from heaven, and said,
"This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." God perfectly loves His
own Son. He sees infinite beauty in His person. God sees Himself manifested.
He is infinitely pleased with His finished work. The infinite heart of the
infinite God flows out in love towards our Lord Jesus Christ. And there is
no fear in the bosom of Christ. All His fears are past. Once He said, "While
I suffer thy terrors I am distressed;" but now He is in perfect love,
and perfect love casteth out fear. Hearken, trembling souls! Here you may
find rest to your souls. You do not need to live another hour under your
tormenting fears. Jesus Christ has borne the wrath of which you are afraid.
He now stands a Refuge for the oppressed--a Refuge in the time of trouble.
Look to Christ, and your fear will be cast out. Come to the feet of Christ,
and you will find rest. Call upon the name of the Lord, and you will be
delivered.
You say you cannot look, nor come, nor cry for you are helpless. Hear, then,
and your soul shall live. Jesus is a Saviour to the helpless. Christ is not
only a Saviour to those who are naked and empty, and have not goodness to
recommend themselves, but He is a Saviour to those who are unable to give
themselves to Him. You cannot be in too desperate a condition for Christ. As
long as you remain unbelieving, you are under His perfect wrath--wrath
without any mixture. The wrath of God will be as amazing as His love. It
comes out of the same bosom. But the moment you look to Christ, you will
come under His perfect love--love without any coldness--light without any
shade--love without any cloud or mountain between. God's love will cast out
all your fears.
"In addition to all, taking up the
shield of faith
with which you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming missiles of the evil one."
(Ephesians 6:16-note)
What is my
shield? It is my intention to obey God. Now if you’ve made up your mind and
purposed in your heart, "I am going to obey you," that is a shield, friend.
Now, if that intention is not there it renders the thoughts
active in your life. That is why the thoughts are able to lodge and stay
because you have not made up your mind to obey God at any cost. You don’t
have your loins girded about with truth. You are not committed to Christ and
everything that He is and to what He says. Where is Christianity in the 20th
century? Right there. They have no shield, but they have their sword. Oh,
they can quote Scripture. They will beat you over the head with it. But
friend, the flat of the blade has no cutting power whatsoever until I have
the shield up, which is the intention of my heart to obey God. Then I can
nail that thought with the cutting edge of that sword and the point. As
1Cor 2:15 says, the "spiritual
(man)
appraises
all
things." He examines it. He
says, "Okay, let’s examine this in light of the Word of God. Is this what
God says? Or is this another lie of the one who was a liar and a murderer
from the beginning, Satan himself? Is this just simply a part of that
infected darkness that is all around us?"
Friend, if
you don’t have your shield up, your sword means nothing. In my heart
I wanted to obey Christ. Therefore, my intention was right and I
could stop the thought. If your intention is not there, the thought
is going to lodge in your mind and you are going to wake up the next
day feeling like that thought is really the truth. It hasn’t got a
thing to do with truth. You haven’t made up your mind to gird your
loins with truth. Therefore, you don’t have a shield. When you pick
up the Word it doesn’t mean anything. It is like a rubber knife. It
has no cutting edge to it whatsoever.
Fear Escape
Proverbs 1:1-7
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their
shield. —Psalm 115:11
In our increasingly dangerous world, think of what we have to fear:
Ominous terrorist threats, frightening crime rates, increasing
natural disasters, sobering energy crises, . . . God.
Yes, God. Ironic, isn’t it, that in a world full of fearful things,
the single source of our refuge and safety is also the One we are
instructed to fear?
Consider Solomon’s words: “In the fear of the Lord there is strong
confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge” (Pr
14:26). Then look at the next verse: “The fear of the Lord is a
fountain of life.”
We try to avoid life’s fearful things because they interrupt our
peace. Yet we are told to move toward fear—the fear of God. For
those who “fear the Lord, . . . He is their help and their shield”
(Ps. 115:11).
Our faith in God can deliver us from the fears of the world (Ps.
23:4)—but only because our faith relies on a fear that is different
from worldly fear. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man brings a
snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”
Fear Him, ye saints, and you will then
Have nothing else to fear;
Make you His service your delight;
Your wants shall be His care. —Tate & Brady
Those who fear God need not fear the world.
GOD'S HOLINESS
"And Moses hid his face, for he was
afraid to look upon God (Exodus 3:6).
According to a doctor at Johns Hopkins University, man is constituted "in
nerve and tissue and brain cell and soul" to function best on faith. In
other words, God made us so that we realize our greatest potential when we
are free from the devastating effects of fear. Yet all of us have fears.
Those who deny this are being dishonest with themselves. We are afraid of
others, ourselves, the future, the past, unemployment, public opinion—the
list is endless!
The Bible mentions no less than two dozen words relating to fear. They
range in meaning from terror to timidity, and most carry a negative
connotation. But one kind of fear—the fear of the Lord—is positive and
health-producing. Scripture tells us that it is the "beginning of
knowledge" (Pr. 1:7) , that it is "clean" (Ps. 19:9) , that it gives
"strong confidence" (Pr 14:26) , and that it is "a fountain of life" (Pr
14:27). But most significantly, we can choose to be controlled by this
fear (Pr 1:29).
Moses expressed this kind of fear when God confronted him from a burning
bush that was not consumed. Moses "hid his face, for he was afraid to look
upon God" (Ex 3:6).
The fear of God is reverent trust. We stand in awe of God, His power, and
His holiness. We believe His warnings, His commands, His promises. We hold
His character in such high respect that we choose "to hate evil" (Pr 8:13)
, knowing that all His commands are for our good. By fearing Him we
express our devotion to Him. It is the one fear that overcomes all others.
—D. J. DeHaan. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Only the fear of
God can banish the fear of men
><> ><> ><>
FEAR OF GOD
"Slaves, in all things obey ...with
sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord." (Colossians 3:22)
"Perfect love casts out fear (1John
4:18).
Jesus commands us to love God (Mt. 22:37) , yet Paul enjoins us to fear
Him (Col. 3:22). But if we love God, shouldn't we be free from fear?
Doesn't perfect love cast out fear? My own experience can help answer this
question. I love the Lord, but I still have some fear when I think of the
day I will stand before Him. I'm not afraid He will send me to hell; I
know that Jesus paid the price for my sins. Yet the thought of standing in
the presence of a holy God awes me. This element of fear helps me to try
to please God. The kind of fear that is cast out by love, though, is a
cringing dread of eternal punishment. God has delivered me from that.
The Wind in the Willows, a children's allegory by Kenneth Grahame,
illustrates the love-fear relationship.
Two animals, Mole and Rat, meet Friend and Helper, who personifies God.
Mole shakes as he whispers,
"Rat, are you afraid?"
"Afraid," murmurs Rat, his eyes brimming with unutterable love—
"Afraid! Of him? Oh, never, never! And yet—and yet—oh, Mole, I am afraid!"
Daniel the prophet must have
experienced that same feeling. His love for God was great, yet when he met
the Lord in a vision he collapsed in fear (Dan 8:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22,23,24, 25, 26, 27) . One glimpse of
God's holiness overwhelmed him with a sense of his own sinfulness.
"Take
the helmet of salvation
and the Sword of the Spirit,
which is the Word of God."
(See note
Ephesians 6:17)
God gives us not only a shield
against fear but also a weapon, the "sword of the Spirit, the Word of
God" (Ephesians 6:17-note).
The Scottish pastor and writer Thomas Guthrie spoke of the value of our "sword"
as
"an armory of heavenly weapons, a laboratory of infallible
medicines, a mine of exhaustless wealth. It is a guidebook for every road,
a chart for every sea, a medicine for every malady (including fear),
and a balm for every wound. Rob us of our Bible and our sky has lost its
sun.”
Christians who rely
simply on their experience of salvation and their feelings to get them
through fearful situations are easy prey.
Feelings come and feelings go
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God,
Naught else is worth believing.
The better you know the Word of God, the easier it will be for you to
detect Satan’s lies and resist his offers. Keeping our mind
steadfastly fixed upon God is critical when we’re tempted to worry.
Meditate upon the passages of Scripture that describe God’s character:
His lovingkindness, power, faithfulness, goodness. Meditate also upon
verses about peace and rest. (See
Memorizing His Word,
Primer of Biblical Meditation,
Biblical Meditation). It is good to talk things over with
others, but only the Lord can work in your heart and turn fear into faith.
God knows everything the enemy says and writes, and He has a perfect plan.
By faith, take everything to Him in prayer.
"The
steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts
in Thee. Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an
everlasting Rock." (Isa 26:3)
So when we set our minds on the unchangeable, trustworthy Rock of our
salvation, we are setting it upon the truth of God's word and the
result can be "perfect peace."
The fear of man brings
a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
—Proverbs
29:25
Mrs. Ima Terror chased her husband
through the crowds at the zoo, waving her umbrella and unleashing insults
like invisible missiles. Her perspiring and winded husband, seeing that the
lock on the lion's cage had not quite closed, yanked it open, jumped into
the cage, slammed the door, pushed the astonished lion hard against the
bars, and peered over its shoulder. His frustrated wife shook her umbrella,
stuttered in anger, and finally managed to explode, "Ralph, come out of
there, you coward!"
Ralph, in this fictitious story, is
like the people of Israel that we read about in the book of Numbers. They
were confused about whom they should really fear. They saw themselves as
grasshoppers when compared to the giants in the land where God wanted them
to go (Pr 13:32, 33).
If we are so afraid of people that we
stop following the Lord, we're not trusting Him. It shows that we have
doubted His plan, His power, and His promises. We have failed to recognize
that He, above all others, is the One to be feared—which means that He is to
be reverenced, trusted, loved, and obeyed.
Our love for God should always move
Our hearts to do what's good and right;
Love also fears His judgments true
And stands in awe of His great might. —D. De Haan
Who are you that you
should be afraid of a man who will die?
—Isaiah
51:12
A large number of people admit that
they have a serious fear of computers. Just being in the same room with a
computer causes some to suffer from feelings of panic, irregular heartbeat,
breathing difficulties, dizziness, and trembling. One therapist says that
these individuals have more than the normal fear of failure while learning
to work with computers. They become so anxious that they are afraid they're
going to lose control, go crazy, or pass out. Does this make sense? No, but
no phobia makes much sense. Yet the fear is real.
This reminds me of another phobia that
many of us have—the fear of the opinions and actions of others. How must it
look to God when we think and act as if our well-being rests solely in the
hands of people? How does it look to the One who is in control when we
become so afraid of people that we panic and forget to trust entirely in
Him? Well, the prophet Isaiah told us. He said that fearing the reproach of
people is foolish because they are dying creatures who, like grass, are here
today and gone tomorrow (Isaiah 51:12).
Cast your burden on
the Lord and He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
—Psalm
55:22
(Click
here for another devotional)
According to a Wall Street Journal
report, anxiety has overtaken depression as the leading mental health
problem in the United States. Anxiety-fighting drugs are now the top-selling
pharmaceutical products. Even with a booming economy and political
stability, worry and apprehension remain part of our human condition—one
that can never be adequately relieved by a pill.
When David composed Psalm
55, his mind was agitated by the same types of situations we struggle with
today: He recoiled in horror from the violence, anger, and abuse that
stalked the city streets (Ps 55:9, 10, 11). He suffered the anguish of being
betrayed by a close friend (Ps 55:12, 13, 14). He longed to leave and escape
to a place of peace (Ps 55:4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Because David's anxious pain
mirrors our own, his prescription for relief can be ours as well. He wrote,
"I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. . . . Cast your burden on
the Lord, and He shall sustain you" (Ps 55:16,22).
Anxiety is a burden we
are not called to bear. Instead, we are to lay our concerns on Christ
because He cares for us (1Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6; Philippians 4:7 -see
notes
1P 5:7;
Ph 4:6; 4:7).
Do not worry about
tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about its own things.
—Matthew 6:34
(note)
Ralph Easter had driven many times
from Calgary, the foothills city of Alberta, to Banff, high in the Canadian
Rockies. But it was his first trip that left an indelible impression on him.
He said that as the road wound westward from Calgary over rolling hills,
there always loomed before him in the distance a range of snow-capped peaks
that seemed to block the highway. He recalls wondering how he would ever
pass over such an insurmountable barrier, but he drove steadily on. Finally
as he reached the point where it had looked as if the road would stop, he
came to a sharp bend and the highway stretched on as before. Many such turns
kept him progressing upward and forward until he came to the other side of
the range.
As we travel the road of life,
obstacles often loom up before us, filling us with apprehension. Illness,
surgery, financial reversal, or loss of a job threaten to keep us from
reaching our goals. But as we keep on by faith, God opens a new way before
us. Most of what we worry about never comes to pass. But even when trouble
comes, God is there to show us a new course. We can avoid the folly of worry
by trusting Him today for all our tomorrows. —R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
For all His children God desires
A life of trust, not flurry;
His will for every day is this:
That we should trust, not worry. —Anon.
Worry is a burden that God never
meant for us to bear.
The fool has said in
his heart, "There is no God."
--Psalm
53:1
Irrational fears, or phobias, torment
many people. They may be afraid of crowds or open spaces or heights. There's
even a fear called theophobia, which is either a dread that God
exists or a strong denial of His existence. But surely theophobia is
rare, isn't it? Maybe not. We read in Romans that enemies of God do all they
can to expel any awareness of Him from their minds (Ro1:28). They become
"futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts [are] darkened" (Ro
1:21).
We shouldn't be surprised, therefore,
when Thomas Nagel, a professor of philosophy and law at New York University,
uses logic to explain away "the fear of religion." In his book The Last
Word, he candidly admits that he is "strongly subject to this fear," and
says, "I hope there is no God!"
Regardless of how apprehensive someone
might be of the mere thought of anything religious, God is real and He
yearns to be our Savior. When we open our minds and hearts to the gospel of
Jesus Christ, our outlook on life changes completely--from fearful pessimism
to trustful hope. Then, having an appropriate fear of the Lord, we find
deliverance from other fears that plague our lives.
Happy are the people
whose God is the Lord!
--Psalm 144:15
When W. B. Davidson was a young boy,
he walked with his father 3 miles from his rural home to his grandmother's
house. While they were visiting, the sun set. Davidson writes, "Between our
home and grandmother's house was a swamp. That night the croaking of the
frogs, the chirping of the crickets, and the shadows of the trees frightened
me. I asked my father if there was any danger of something catching us, but
he assured me that there was nothing to dread. And so, taking me by the
hand, he said, 'I will not allow anything to harm you.' Immediately my fears
passed away and I was ready to face the world."
Someone has said that the three keys
to real peace are: fret not, faint not, fear not.
1. Fret not--because God loves you (1Jn
4:16).
2. Faint not--because God holds you (Ps139:10).
3. Fear not--because God keeps you (Ps 121:5).
The eternal God is
your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
--Deuteronomy 33:27
Have you ever dreamed that you were
falling out of bed or from some great height, and you awoke in fright? I
remember that as a boy I would often be awakened by such a terrifying
feeling.
I heard about a man who had this
sensation as soon as he slipped into sleep. He was so rudely awakened by his
sense of falling that he was afraid to go back to sleep. He feared he would
die, and he imagined he was falling into a bottomless pit. Then one evening
as he was strolling through a cemetery, he saw this phrase engraved on a
tombstone:
Underneath Are
The Everlasting Arms
These words reminded him that when
believers die, they are safely carried by the Lord to their home in heaven.
He recalled the assurance of the psalmist, "Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me"
(Ps 23:4).
The once-fearful man realized that in
life and in death--and even in sleep--the "everlasting arms" of our loving
Lord are there to catch and hold us. That night he was able to sing what he
was taught in childhood, "Teach me to live that I may dread the grave as
little as my bed!" At last he could fall asleep without fear. --M. R. De
Haan, M.D. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I can trust my loving Savior
When I fear the world's alarms;
There's no safer place of hiding
Than His everlasting arms. --Hess
You can trust God in the dark as
well as in the light.
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
--Psalm 56:3
Some years ago as I lay in a hospital
bed, I overheard two women talking in a waiting room outside my door.
Evidently the husband of one of them was in critical condition. She had been
under extreme stress and was greatly concerned about his recovery. She said
to her friend, "You know, when you're as worried as I am, you just have to
smoke!" That made me think about how people handle their fears. Some turn to
alcohol, others turn to food, and some to busyness. The psalmist gave us a
better solution to the problem of fear. He said, "Whenever I am afraid, I
will trust in You" (Ps 56:3). It's tragic when we turn to something other than
the Lord to fill the void or cover up the pain we're feeling.
If we have put our faith in God's Son,
Jesus Christ, we can have confidence that our heavenly Father sees us in our
trials and has promised His protection. In times of distress, we can place
our trust in the Lord. He wants us to call on Him so that He can encourage
us with His presence and give us His peace. As you rest in the Lord and rely
on Him today, you will be able to say with the psalmist, "Whenever I am
afraid, I will trust in You." --R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Nothing is hid from His all-seeing
eye,
Never a teardrop nor even a sigh;
Anxious and troubled you never need be--
Trust Him completely and doubtings will flee. --Nienhuis
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you.
--Isaiah 41:10
Some years ago as I lay in a hospital
bed, I overheard two women talking in a waiting room outside my door.
Evidently the husband of one of them was in critical condition. She had been
under extreme stress and was greatly concerned about his recovery. She said
to her friend, "You know, when you're as worried as I am, you just have to
smoke!" That made me think about how people handle their fears. Some turn to
alcohol, others turn to food, and some to busyness. The psalmist gave us a
better solution to the problem of fear. He said, "Whenever I am afraid, I
will trust in You" (Ps 56:3). It's tragic when we turn to something other than
the Lord to fill the void or cover up the pain we're feeling.
If we have put our faith in God's Son,
Jesus Christ, we can have confidence that our heavenly Father sees us in our
trials and has promised His protection. In times of distress, we can place
our trust in the Lord. He wants us to call on Him so that He can encourage
us with His presence and give us His peace. As you rest in the Lord and rely
on Him today, you will be able to say with the psalmist, "Whenever I am
afraid, I will trust in You." --R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Nothing is hid from His all-seeing
eye,
Never a teardrop nor even a sigh;
Anxious and troubled you never need be--
Trust Him completely and doubtings will flee. --Nienhuis
You did not receive the
spirit of bondage again to fear.
--Romans 8:15
(note)
Lena arrived in the port city of
Magadan, Siberia, well before the Iron Curtain was drawn back. Sick and
penniless, she went to the dock area to find work. There she met a gentleman
who, as she put it, had "a good heart." He gave Lena a job in his factory,
and he and his wife provided her with food and shelter. Lena had always
feared the future. She confided in the couple about her visits to
spiritualists and fortunetellers, but her newfound friends assured her that
she didn't need to consult the mediums to be secure about the future. Then
they told her about Jesus. Lena had never heard of Him, so they explained
who Jesus is and that He could set her free from her fear. A few months
later, Lena became a believer in Jesus Christ. "Now," she says, "instead of
seeking the spirits, I am led by the Holy Spirit." Her apprehension about
the future has been replaced by the peace that God alone can give.
Perhaps you're worried about the
future and preoccupied with what it may have in store for you. There's only
one way you will ever have peace about it. Like Lena, you must put your
future in God's hands. Trust in Christ as your Savior. Then, no matter what
the future holds, you will experience the peace that His Holy Spirit brings.
--D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said;
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead. --Stanphill
We may not know what the future
holds,
but we can trust the One who holds the future.
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
--Psalm 56:3
A young woman who lived in a crime-ridden
area was waiting for a bus when a rookie policeman came up to her and asked,
"Can I wait with you?" "That's not necessary," she replied. "I'm not
afraid." "Well, I am," he said. "Would you mind waiting with me?"
The apostle Paul was
candid with his readers in Corinth, admitting his fear and weakness, even to
the point of trembling (1Cor 2:3). But he faced up to it, expressed his need
for the Lord, and then relied on Him. He said that his speech and preaching
were a "demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1Cor 2:4). We may safely assume that Paul spent much time praying
and depending on God while he was in this wicked city.
Admitting that we are sometimes
fearful isn't a sign of being out of fellowship with God or that something
is wrong in our lives. To acknowledge that we become anxious about dying,
about getting cancer, about losing our mind, or about our children getting
in trouble is being honest about our feelings. To overcome our fears, we
must first acknowledge them. Then we must bring them to God and go forward
in obedience. That's the only way to conquer fear. --D J De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Press forward and fear not, though
trials be near;
The Lord is our refuge, whom then shall we fear?
His staff is our comfort, our safeguard His rod;
Then let us be steadfast and trust in our God. --Anon.
Do the thing you fear--and the
death of fear is certain. --Emerson
I agree with the statement "Faith chases out fear, or fear chases out
faith." But I also know that no believer is immune to panic or
terror.
One Sunday evening the hair on my neck
stood up and my heart rate soared as the driver of an oncoming car tried to
pass another vehicle when he shouldn't have and I was forced off the road.
Christians caught in a major earthquake have told me about the panic that
seized them when it occurred. Military people who have survived intense
bombing attacks say that anyone who claims he wasn't afraid at the time is
either a liar or a fool.
It is not a sin to
feel panic or terror in a life-threatening situation.
During a sudden, violent storm, the
disciples were gently rebuked as having "little faith" because they
should have known that nothing could harm them while Jesus was in their
boat. But they did the right thing in calling out to Him, "Lord, save us!"
(Mt 8:25).
Jesus responded to
their fears with the question
"Why
are you timid (fearful, cowardly), you men of little faith?" Then He
arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm."
(Mt 8:26)
Next time fear strikes, think of the truth about God and commit to trust His
character. Follow the pattern of the psalmist who said, "Whenever I am
afraid, I will trust in You" (Ps. 56:3). Some handle their fears by turning to alcohol, others to
food, and some to busyness. The psalmist gives us a better solution -- turn
to the LORD. It's tragic when we turn to something other than the Lord
to fill the void or cover up the pain we're feeling.
Remember, fear
will chase out faith
or faith will chase out fear.
I'll walk this day in faith, dear
Lord,
No foe nor storm I'll fear;
Because I'm trusting in Your Word,
I know that You are near. --Anon.
Faith can break the stranglehold
of fear.
Nothing is hid from His all-seeing eye,
Never a teardrop nor even a sigh;
Anxious and troubled you never need be--
Trust Him completely and doubtings will flee. --Nienhuis When fear knocks at your
door, let faith open it.
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
--Psalm 56:3
We live in a world plagued by fear.
People worry about illness, poverty, family disruption, war, famine, and the
future. For those who place their trust in the Lord, however, it's
different. Because their lives are in the hands of an all-wise, all-loving,
all-powerful heavenly Father, they can face any difficult situation with
confidence.
Henry Durbanville writes this about
the gifted fourth-century preacher John Chrysostom: "Exiled from the
position which he held as the greatest preacher of his age, this noble man
refused to be intimidated. 'What can I fear?' he asks. 'Will it be death?
But you know that Christ is my life, and that I shall gain by death. Will it
be exile? But the earth and all its fullness are the Lord's. Will it be loss
of wealth? But we brought nothing into this world and can carry nothing out.
Thus all the terrors of the world are contemptible in my eyes, and I smile
at all its good things. Poverty I do not fear, riches I do not sigh for, and
from death I do not shrink.'" This same testimony can be ours. With God as
our Father, Christ as our Savior, and the Holy Spirit as our Guide, we can
face every situation with perfect confidence in the One who conquers fear.
--R W De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Terror by night nor arrow's flight
Can make my soul afraid;
Naught can alarm, no foe can harm,
When on Him I am stayed. --Anon.
"Oh, fear the Lord,
you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him."
--Psalm 34:9
The daughter of a well-known Chicago
crime boss has written a book in which she tells of the uneasy fear that
continuously stalked her father. His gangland-style death later confirmed
that his fears were not unfounded.
Many people live with fears that are
as real to them as the dread of the mob was to that man, even though their
lives are good and upright. Take the case of David, the author of
Psalm 34. He had reason to be fearful
because he was stalked by men who wanted to kill him. Yet his experience
helps us see the right way to deal with fear.
Just as fire can be used to fight
fire, so fear can be used to fight fear. David reminded his readers that
those who fear God above all else can be delivered from all other fears.
When believers learn to reverence God and obey Him, they find that they are
the most privileged and favored people in the whole world (Ps 34:8, 9).
Isaiah 41:10 was originally spoken by
Isaiah to Israel but in principle is applicable to every believer:
'Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
Isaiah 41:10
Every night a boy had to walk past
what he believed was a haunted house. A friend gave him a good-luck charm to
give him courage. An adult said, "It's sinful to be afraid. Trust God! Be
brave!" But he was still afraid. Then someone said with compassion, "I know
what it is to be afraid. I will walk with you past the house." That's all
the boy needed to quell his fears.
Several years ago I was asked to
conduct a funeral. I had spoken at many similar occasions as a pastor, but
this one was different. Physical and emotional exhaustion had depleted my
inner reserves, causing me to lose all confidence in myself. But as the hour
approached, I held to the promise of Isaiah 41:10 and did what I knew I had
to do. Looking back, I've concluded that it wasn't simply using a Bible
verse or telling myself to trust God that helped me through. Instead, it was
because Someone was at that funeral, not only comforting the grieving but
also lifting my fears. That Someone was Jesus Christ, who Himself had
endured intense sorrow and grief. He was there in the person of the Holy
Spirit. Are you facing fear today? Let the words of Isaiah 41:10 remind you
that the Lord is with you. --D J De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Fear not, I am with thee--O be not
dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
(Play
Hymn "How Firm A Foundation")
Fear will leave us
when we remember that Jesus is with us.
There’s within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low,
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
In all of life’s ebb and flow. (Play
Hymn "He Keeps Me Singing")
Like the children of Israel in Numbers
13:17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, Hannah Hurnard, author of
Hinds' Feet on High Places, was
once paralyzed by fear. Then she heard a sermon on scarecrows that
challenged her to turn her fear into faith. The preacher said, "A wise bird
knows that a scarecrow is simply an advertisement. It announces that some
very juicy and delicious fruit is to be had for the picking. There are
scarecrows in all the best gardens. . . . If I am wise, I too shall treat
the scarecrow as though it were an invitation. Every giant in the way which
makes me feel like a grasshopper is only a scarecrow beckoning me to God's
richest blessings." He concluded, "Faith is a bird which loves to perch on
scarecrows. All our fears are groundless." Hannah testified that this humble
parable has encouraged her to walk along some frightening but fruitful
pathways more times than she could number.
Our world is filled with fear.
Even in fairly stable and secure countries, people are afraid. According to
a USA Today article, "We panic over pesticides and cellular phones, ozone
holes and mercury fillings."
Science, government, and psychiatry
can deal with some of these fears, but there are other fear-producing
circumstances that even the world's most powerful military force can't
prevent--an earthquake, a tornado, a flood, a fatal disease.
One fear, however, overshadows
all others--the fear of our inescapable appointment with death and God's
judgment (Heb
2:14, 15;
9:27).
The only antidote
for this anxiety, and ultimately all others,
is found in gaining confidence that we are in God's protective care.
That assurance begins to grow when we
put our trust in Jesus as our Savior. He is the One who took the sting out
of death (1Cor 15:55,
56, 57). Once we receive Him as our Savior, our faith grows
as we learn more about the wisdom, love, and power of God, and our fears
diminish as we choose to focus on Christ instead.
Do not worry about
tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about its own things.
--Matthew
6:34
I had never thought of
worry as a form of taking on God's responsibility. But the more I thought
about it, the more I realized that worry, in its naked form, comes close to
doing just that. I thought of this after seeing a sign in a church foyer
that read:
Do not feel totally, personally,
irrevocably responsible for
everything. That's My job.
--God
This advice does not absolve us of all
responsibility, however. The force of the statement lies in the words
totally, personally, irrevocably, and everything. We often feel we must
solve all our problems ourselves, and that unless we come up with the right
solution all will be lost. Of course, we must take responsibility for our
own lives. Yet God wants us to rely on His guidance. When problems arise,
our first duty is to bring them to Him in prayer. He may show us that we've
created our own difficulty, and may reveal that we must make changes to
resolve it. He'll grant forgiveness and give the strength to change. Or
He'll assure us that we're doing all we can, and say, "Leave it with Me.
Just do your next duty."
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
--Proverbs 28:1
The flashing sign along a
stretch of North Carolina interstate warned:
Slow Down:
Drug Checkpoint Ahead
About 200 vehicles took the next
exit--and were the only ones searched. The only drivers with reason to exit
were residents or those avoiding the checkpoint! Authorities made several
arrests and seized two cars that were transporting drugs.
A loss of courage is just one of the
side effects of law-breaking. The boldness required to break the law is soon
replaced by the fear of getting caught. We find ourselves running even when
no one is chasing us (Pr 28:1). Our fear eventually reveals and confirms our
guilt.
In
Leviticus 26, God explicitly told His
people what would happen if they chose to break His law. He warned that they
would flee at "the sound of a shaken leaf" (Lv 26:36), and they would run
"when no one pursues" (Lv 26:37). But He also left the door open for genuine
repentance (Lev 26:40, 41, 42).
My sin--O the bliss of this
glorious thought--
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! --Spafford
Few things instill more courage
than a good conscience toward God.
One day Charles Spurgeon, the great
19th-century preacher, stood on a London street corner, afraid to
cross the road. The street was a bustle of horses, carts, and carriages,
with drivers urging their steeds onward at breakneck speeds and no rules
of the road to control them. Only when a blind man asked Spurgeon for help
did the two cross together in safety.
Fear is a powerful, paralyzing emotion. It can make grown
men seem like frightened children. God not only understands this, but He
is also very patient with us as He develops in us the faith that overcomes
fear.
In
Matthew 14, Jesus calmed the disciples'
terror with the words "Be of good cheer! It is I" (v27).
But He also rebuked them, saying, "O you of little faith, why did you
doubt?" (v31).
He wanted their "little faith" to yield to larger
faith.
The Lord can use our fears to develop our faith. We may,
like Spurgeon on that street corner, defeat fear by helping others.
Or, like the disciples, we may sense the Lord's rebuke. But His chastening
cannot come without the knowledge that He is there. To the child of God
learning to trust in His care and goodness, our fears will bring renewed
assurance that He is always there (Heb
13:5). (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
HOW TO
HANDLE FEAR What do these verses from Psalms say about fear?
Ps 18:4, 5, 6,28, 29; 23:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 27:1, 2, 3,14; 34:4, 5,6, 7, 8,
9,10; 56:1-11
Put your
faith in Christ
and put your fears to rest
In the fear of Jehovah there is
strong confidence. --Proverbs 14:26
Do your legs shake and does your mouth get dry at the thought of talking to
a nonbeliever about Christ? If so, you're not alone. To the extent that we learn to fear
God, we can overcome our fear of people. This is what I call "the law of
confidence." It's not the only factor in developing courage, but it's the
most important.
This rule makes little sense to those
who look for security only in man-made hiding places. Yet for those who love
God above all else, the words of Jesus carry strength: "Do not fear those
who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able
to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Mt. 10:28). This truth
dissolves fear and gives courage to those who accept it. Deep in their
hearts they realize that even if the Lord allows the enemy to destroy their
physical life they will lose only what is keeping them from enjoying the
presence of their Savior in heaven.
O feeble soul! O timid heart!
Would you be strong and true?
Then from all sin and wrong depart
And seek God's will to do. --DJD
Fear God and
you will have nothing else to fear
Are you looking for security
in a world where frightening situations and unsettling circumstances abound?
There is no better way to find it than to live each day with a healthy fear
of God--a reverence that creates a longing to obey Him
Those who fear God most fear men least
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