Fear

What are we so afraid of?

Death, heights, dogs, cats, losing, being alone, storms, and so much more.  There are tons of things we think are to be feared in this world.  There are even people who legitimately fear the Zombie Apocalypse.  We feel like we have a ton of stuff to fear.  However, the Bible has something totally different to tell those of us who follow Jesus and are in a relationship with Him.

We have nothing to fear!

How are we able to not live in fear? First of all, because of the God we serve.  Multiple times in the Bible, the Lord tells people to not fear, because He is with them.  

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

The list goes on and on.  The Bible commands us to not be afraid or to not fear, many times.  So what are we supposed to do with that?  We are supposed to obey God's commands!  When something we feel like is overwhelming us happens, we do not have to be afraid! The creator of the universe is on our side!  

Our God is THE God!  He spoke and light appeared.  He told the winds to chill out, and they stopped!   He got up from the dead and walked.  He has defeated everything there needs to be defeated!  Everything He says, He does.  Therefore, if He tells us He will be with us, that is what He's going to do!

The scariest things on earth are nothing to our God.  Anything the world can throw at us, God walks through with us.  Does this mean He keeps us from all of this?  No!  I think that is part of the beauty of our walk with God.  He doesn't shield us from things that make us grow.  If we avoided all that, I don't think we would trust Him as much as we would trust in ourselves.

The scary, tough times and situations in our lives are not meant to be avoided, they are meant to increase our dependence on God.

So what do we do?

Whenever some situation pops up in your life, and you feel fear entering into your brain.  Remind yourself of the power of the promise of God, He will be with you.  Put your faith in Him, lean on His arms, and He will walk with you through whatever you are going through.  He will not make you miss the struggle, but He will walk with you through it! 

Who Will Fight For You?

Have you ever felt surrounded by the pressures of life?  Like you're between a rock and a hard place? Maybe like you're being attacked from every side and there's nothing you can do? 

Well, let me begin by telling you that you're not wrong.  When you feel this way, there's nothing you can do.  

Take the children of Israel for example.  In Exodus, we see that God has sent Moses to bring the Israelites up out of Egypt.  So, abridged version, Moses takes the Israelites out of Egypt.  They leave Egypt and they end up out in the wilderness.  God then sets it in motion for Pharoah, the king of Egypt, to pursue them.  All this is because God is wanting to show off.  

So, the Egyptians are in pursuit.  The Israelites begin to run a way, and then run right into the banks of the Red Sea.  The Israelites looked at the sea ahead of them and the army behind them and became discouraged.  They questioned Moses as to why he would lead them out into the wilderness.  But then Moses spoke up.

“And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.””

Exodus 14:13-14 ESV

So instead of worrying, the Israelites should've been praying!  Hindsight is 20/20 but didn't they just witness God delivering them from slavery in Egypt?  They watched the plagues rage against Israel, they'd seen the mighty hand of God! So then, they'd rested and when they turned around, they saw Pharoah and his army behind them and they want to quit.  

Are we not the exact same?

I know I can be just like them.  God can do miraculous things in my life and has done them and then at the first sign of trouble, I lose all trust in Him.  I go from letting Him take control, to taking control and I just end up screwing it all up! 

So what does God want us to do in these situations?

Look at this portion of the Exodus, He wants us to stop and just be still.  We have to realize that He has our best interest in mind, and that He will also fight for us.  What does that mean, "God will fight for you..."? It means that God will look out for you, God's got your back!  He has what He thinks is best for your life!  Never ever doubt that fact!  God will fight, He will go to bat, He will step in for you!

He did step in for you!  He took your place and died for the sins you have committed and that you will commit!  He did it for the sins of the world.  He did for everyone.  He fought for us on the cross and in the grave!  

So where does that put us?  

When you face a trial, when you're in between a rock and a hard place, put your trust in the Lord!  Give the situation to him and He will work your situation out for your good.  It may not feel good at that moment, but it will be for your good in the long run!  Take comfort in the fact that the Creator of the universe is fighting for you!  

So when you turn around and see whatever enemy pressing in on you, turn around and look to God!  He will take over the fight for you!