“Do not say, Conspiracy, every time these people say the word. Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified” (Isaiah 8:12 NET). But, you say, They make so much sense! Remember, Yahweh is the Almighty. No labyrinth or machination of wickedness is greater than our God. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1John 4:4 KJV). If we keep our focus upon the LORD, then we take great delight in the knowledge of our necessity and ability to obey His command. “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Though the enemy may take the form of a frightening, foul fiend from a Peter Jackson “Lord of the Rings” movie, ours is only to “sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:1). LORD, may we fear, dread, love, and obey You only. Amen and Amen.
Fear
Analysis: Fear — the Bad and the Good
“Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1 KJV). 62 times in the KJV, we are told to “fear not.” Fear is an emotion capable of causing great harm in humans. Our physical body can be so greatly impacted by fear, it can cause death, as witnessed by Nabal, when he found that David was coming to slay him but was intercepted and prevented by Abigail’s wise actions. Nabal’s “heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died” (1Samuel 25:37-38). Fear of God, by comparison, is a right relationship with Him, who is the source of life and the only means of escaping death. “Sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:13). Fear of God is the positive emotion of trusting Him who is worthy of our trust. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28).
Cure for Fear
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3 KJV). Better than whistling a happy tune, because the One we trust is greater than anything that can harm us. David didn’t stop there, but went on. “In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (56:4). In God We Trust may only sound like an advertising slogan minted on coins, but true confidence in God is deceptively powerful. Faith is so effective an antidote for fear, the enemy mocks and trivializes it in hope the godly will be lulled into a false sense of “maybe this is too simple to work.” Exactly. Because it is not about us, but about whom we are trusting. Almighty God. “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14).
Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt
Fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) find us as an any easy target, if we allow someone other than God to define our reality. We like to think ourselves current with the events surrounding us. If an uncontrollable fire drives us into the ocean, as it recently did to many on the island of Maui in Lahaina, Hawaii, we, too, could not but react. Pray for Maui. May God be merciful to all those affected! Our hearts go out to you! But, beyond reasonable measures to prepare for adversity, our greatest resource and defense is confidence in God. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2Timothy 1:7 KJV). Fear, on the other hand, is a characteristic of hell. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8 KJV). Faith is confidence in God. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). Faith comes from God’s Spirit working in us as we trust Him, in particular, when believing His Word. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 KJV). God alone is able to defend us from the triumvirate of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Trust God, for He is worthy!
Donate to the Red Cross for “Hawaii wildfires” or Hope worldwide for “wildfires on Maui” relief.
We Need A Miracle 