Fear – in Reality – Unlock God’s Truth
Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories. Isaiah 41:10 (CEV)
I received a card today from a friend who shared that her sister, who has battled heart disease most of her life, is at the point where medical intervention is of little help. Each day is given and orchestrated by God: Will she remain here or is this the day that Jesus will take her home?
Throughout the Bible, God speaks to us, His children, about fear. Jesus boiled down the message most clearly in Luke Chapter 12:
4 My friends, don’t be afraid of people. They can kill you, but after that, there is nothing else they can do. 5 God is the one you must fear. Not only can he take your life, but he can throw you into hell. God is certainly the one you should fear!
6 Five sparrows are sold for just two pennies, but God doesn’t forget a one of them. 7 Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don’t be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows. (CEV)
Our world today is filled with many things to fear. Safety from terrorism is not something we can guarantee, even to our children. It isn’t anything that we personally provoke. We are Americans and many of us are Christian, either of those characteristics are enough to spark these fanatics to label us infidels, and killing us, however unnamed we are, earns them a special place with their idea of Allah. Do we build ourselves a “safe room” or “bomb shelter”? Will homeschooling our children keep them safe? What about going to sporting events and concerts? Do we avoid large crowds? What number constitutes a large crowd?
We, in the western part of the world, have no concept of what it has been like to grow up in Israel or Romania or Nigeria. The children in these countries and many more have grown up with bombs, gunfire, and death from disease and starvation being a part of their lives just as the freedom to worship God, or not, without any recriminations, has been a part of our life. But now some of these carriers of fear have come to our towns – and we are fearful.
Jesus says clearly in Luke 12 that fear of what another human being can do to me or those I love is a waste of my time. By faith in God, killing my body will only send me on to the eternal life that He has promised. God should be the only fear in my life and that is a ‘holy fear’ of what He can do if I would turn my back on Him. When I am a Believer in God and the salvation given to me through His Son, Jesus Christ, I am locked into a promise that can never be broken by any terrorist or disease. I am God’s child and He has His hand on me and knows every hair on my head.
Joshua said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15). Choose today! Will I allow my mind to serve the ruler of human fear? Or will I turn my back on that fear and hold fast to God, Creator of all the Universe and beyond? Will I teach my children and grandchildren the truth of where their home is located and that this world is just a place we are passing through?
Father God, unlock the door of Your blessings of truth and the life that You desire for me. May I walk with a spring in my step because I do not walk alone and those that I love are also never alone. Though sickness and disease may come upon us, Your love never fails. Guard our minds and spirits by the power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.