No Fear
Fear.
It’s just the worst.
That terrible, oppressive emotion that suffocates the life out of us—that keeps us from enjoying all that God has for us.
Some fears can actually be helpful—when you spot a rattlesnake in the garden, you know, thanks to fear, that you need to back away.
Fear, in this sense, is a worthy counselor that helps us get ourselves out of harm’s way.
But the kind of fear that God removes (and bans) from the Believer’s heart, is the fear that flies in the face of faith—the fear that paralyzes us, robs us of joy, and makes us its slave.
Worry.
Anxiety.
Insecurity.
Dread.
We no longer need to bow at these tyrannical, pagan shrines because we have a Father, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, who’s promised to watch over us and provide everything we need.
When we trusted in His Son, God sent His Spirit to live in our hearts, and Paul tells Timothy: It’s not a spirit of fear!
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).
And that Spirit who makes us God’s sons and daughters, comes in and displaces the things that don’t belong there.
Like fear—the opposite of faith.
Listen to the Apostle John:
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18).
The more we grow close to God, the more we study His word, the more we are perfected in His love—the less we fear.
King David had a great number of enemies who wanted him dead, and he marched into ferocious battles on many occasions.
And although he was a brave warrior for the Lord, even he had his struggles.
And we know that from some of those songs he liked to sing:
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me (Psalm 56:3-4)?
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid (Psalm 27:1)?
David knew what it was like to be afraid; but more than that, He knew the Lord.
And, therefore, he knew he had no good reason to be afraid.
How about you?
Are you going to go with your fears… or with your faith?
Let’s go with faith in our great God and sing with King David:
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear (Psalm 118:6).
