May 24th
“You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?” Psalm 76:7 NIV
Fear certainly is something on most people’s minds these days. With terrorists attacks, wars, earthquakes, stock market troubles, and the Media’s unending supply of fear-based entertainment and news, people have plenty of inspiration for fear.
What exactly is fear, anyhow? Fear is like “negative faith” and is based on doubt that God is still in control of things. It suggests that the current situation has gotten too big for even God to recover from…that evil has finally gained the upper hand in things and that hope of good triumphing has vanished or at least, is not certain.
I believe that God wants us to exercise our faith in the face of every fear-filled circumstance we face in life. I’m certain that most of us face some type of fear every day. It could be the fear of death, the fear of failure, the fear of getting fired, the fear of breaking secrecy, the fear of our marriage dissolving, the fear of financial ruin, the fear of persecution, or many others. God calls us to evaluate every situation from the mindset that he is Lord over all things in heaven and on earth. The word says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
This doesn’t mean that the devil will stop killing, stealing and destroying, but it does mean that ultimately justice will be carried out by God in his timing. If we’re trusting in God, we need not fear anything in the list above…even being killed by a terrorist, because our identity is as a son or daughter of God for eternity. We can take comfort in God’s words to us in these troubled times, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).
Questions for further thought:
What are some of the sources of fear in your life?
What are two of your greatest fears?
What is the truth about those fears, especially considering your identity as a son or daughter of God in Christ?
What makes terrorism so effective?
How does faith in God disarm fear?
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I praise you for being God of heaven and earth and everything in them. I thank you that nothing can succeed against you and that you will execute perfect justice in your time. Please forgive me for succumbing to any fear in my life. I see that it is linked to doubting you, and I see that as sin now. Please help me live in the reality that you are Lord over all things and that I am your child and servant. Please help me apply the truth to every area of fear in my life. Thank you for your favor and protection over me that Jesus purchased for me by dying on the cross. I love you, Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”