Fear
There is more fear in the world today than ever.
Political leaders, both here and abroad, publicly admit
they are uneasy about man's future and uncertain as to
how to avoid total destruction of civilization. Fear now
permeates virtually every society on earth. The reasons
for this fear abound: nuclear arms, pollution, constant
wars and rebellions, incurable diseases, economic stress,
natural disasters, and much more. Millions are tormented
with the dread of death, as if the grave is the most
horrible of all things. Some even refuse to talk or think
about it. It is true that death is an enemy (1Cor.15:26),
but it is a defeated enemy for the believer, a mere
gateway to home with our Lord Jesus, who came to
"destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the
devil, and deliver them who through fear of death
were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
No child of God need be found among the unbelieving
and terror-stricken people of this world. "For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear," wrote
Paul, "But ye have received the Spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Brother, sister, the
answer to your fear lies in your return to the faith.
Multitudes of truly converted people have grown weak in
faith and are searching frantically for peace in the face of
fear. Many are fleeing to doctors, only to be told, "I can
do nothing more for you. I've done all that I can do."
Others are attempting through political action to establish
a social stability and security which nothing but Jesus'
return will accomplish. How sad to see the church
forsake its "mighty weapons" and turn to the weak
methods of man for help!
If there ever was a time when the church needed to
rediscover the Source of our strength, it is now. Outside
of Christ, there is nothing but fear and more fear. This
troubled world needs examples of fearless, consecrated
believers, so that men may know that Christ Jesus is
God's eternal remedy for the affliction of fear.
You remember the story, from 1 Samuel 17, of David,
the young shepherd, and Goliath, the giant warrior.
David had brought some food from home for his three
oldest brothers who were serving in King Saul's army.
When he looked across the valley which separated Israel's
forces from the Philistines, David spied a terrifying sight:
Goliath had come out of the camp of the Philistines and
was arrogantly defying the armies of Israel, saying, "Why
are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am I not
a Philistine, and ye servants of Saul? Choose you a
man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be
able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be
your servants. But if I prevail against him, and kill
him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And
the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day.
Give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul
and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they
were dismayed, and greatly afraid. And all the men of
Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were
sore afraid."
When David saw the fear of Saul and his soldiers, he said
to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy
servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And he
took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth
stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherds'
bag which he had...and his sling was in his hand. And
he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine said to
David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the
fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said
David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword,
and with a spear, and with a shield, but I come to thee
in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies
of Israel, whom thou hast defied. And it came to pass,
when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to
meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army
to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his
bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the
Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk in his
forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. So
David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a
stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him, but there
was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David
ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword,
and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and
cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw
their champion was dead, they fled."
I like that story, don't you? A giant defying the armies
of God, with no one able to stop him until he met someone
who had no fear. Later, David would explain his courage
in a song: In God I have put my trust. I will not fear
what flesh can do unto me (Ps.56:4).
Reader, if you do not have faith in your heart to
overcome your fears, you simply haven't accepted this promise of God at face value: "That we should
be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all
that hate us, that we being delivered out of the hand of
our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness
and righteousness before him, all the days of our lives."
Those whose lives are wrapped up in themselves, who
depend entirely upon their own powers, have cause to fear,
for they must, in time, realize their own weaknesses and
limitations. On the other hand, those who trust in God to be
their strength and their wisdom find that He is sufficient,
and they need not be afraid. "For he hath said, I will
never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly
say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what
man shall do unto me" (Heb.13:5-6).
Fear is the result of unbelief, a work of the devil. John
tells us "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth
out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is
not made perfect in love" (1Jn.4:18). It was David's love
perfected in fellowship with God that enabled him to say,
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod
and thy staff they comfort me." Doubtless, at the time
David uttered this Psalm, he was thinking of the valley of
Elah, where he fought Goliath.
The feeling that we are alone will cause fear. That is
why God tells us, "Fear not, for I am with thee" (Gen.26:
24). Oh, how God has commanded us ministers to "Say
unto them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear
not" (Isa.35:4). It is weakness that produces fear, and
strength that destroys it. Consequently, the Psalmist
exulted, "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? Though an host should encamp
against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should
rise against me, in this will I be confident" (Ps.27:1, 3).
Fear is very contagious. When officers in the Israelite
army found a soldier who was afraid of battle, they "let him
go and return to his house, lest his brother's heart faint
as well as his heart" (Dt.20:8). Gideon, you remember,
lost 22,000 men on such a cleanup. Yet the 300 men who
eventually went to battle with him were sufficient, for they
trusted in God to be their Helper. Fearful men are
worthless to God and to men.
God gave us a great promise, but a timely warning, when
He said, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and
I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 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" (Rev.21:7-8). After reading this, we are not
surprised at Isaiah (33:14) saying, "The sinners in Zion are
afraid. Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrite. Who
among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who
among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"
May God help us prayerfully to consider the advice to
Zophar, one of Job's friends, who counselled Job, "If
iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, and let not
wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou
lift up thy face without spot. Yea, thou shalt be
steadfast, and shalt not fear" (Job 11:14-15).
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