Jesus said fear not! Isaiah 41:13-14; Josh 1:7-9; Jer 1:17-19

Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, harm etc. Not all Phobias are real; some of them are false evidence of things appearing to be real, whereas, there’s no true threat of imminent physical danger, loss of someone or something dear to us, actually nothing there at all. There is a negative fear, which is of Satan the devil (the enemy) & a positive fear which is of God (full of love, peace, grace and hope in the Holy Ghost through Jesus Christ).

Fear amplifies our senses & awareness; it keeps us alert & helps us be better prepared. The negative side of fear is when it holds us back from doing something positive. So, fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger or so, whether the threat is real or imaginary, the feeling or condition of being afraid; is a specific instance of or inclination for such a feeling; an abnormal fear of heights, reverential awe; especially towards God.

The fear of God refers to a specific sense of respect, awe & submission to a deity. This fear is a loving fear that brings joy, peace, grace & hope of a positive future. Solomon said ‘The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (proverb 9:10).

There are two main types of fear for which all the other kinds of phobias are manufacture from. These are (1) innate fear: these type are universal, inborn- identity fears. These are fears that come as a result of the growth in man’s wisdom i.e. fears that are associated with the advancement of the world’s knowledge or technologies. (2) Love & connection fear: This class are those related to love i.e. connection to a higher authority or power. (This power is of God).

Let’s look at this little illustration on how negative fear can become problematic to us. When the cloud want to empty its fluid on the earth; it start by turning or changing colour from white to light grey then darker, depending on how heavy the rain will be. Fear begins from the hearing of something or an imagination; it then spread it winds depending on the vessel upon which it sits; if the vessel becomes so anxious, the fear will eventually grow more. Like heavy rain comes with strong winds that could cause destructions (eg mud –slides, floods, tornados etc) so is fear, it can becomes a stronghold in the vessel harbouring it thereby, causing depression, anxiety, and other dangerous medical conditions even suicidal…

Friends let us be assured that God is with us in every situation we face in life. In every turmoil & struggles God is right there strengthening, helping & even holding us by the hands. Our God is greater, He gives us power to live courageously, boldly, fearlessly in this life; when many things we are surrounded by, tells us to be afraid. In every turmoil, His truth whispers strong and sure to the deepest core of our spirits. That is why He keeps encouraging us by saying “Fear Not” Deut 3:22.

The Bible mentioned that we should not fear, 365 times. God evidently knows the devil seeks to terrorise us constantly so He reassures us on a daily basis that He is right there with us and for us; therefore there is no cause for us to fear.

You see, Jeremiah and Apostle Paul are examples of people who were acutely aware of this truth of fear not; because God was their help. (Jer 1:6-10; 2 Cor12:7-10). God calls Israel little worm, asking them to trust Him their God because with God’s help these little worms will become a force that destroys every mountains the devil puts before them.

The fearful people of God, victimized by the cruel impulses of human power, will be vindicated, for no human hostility can defeat our God. God said ‘I AM WITH THEE’ hence we fear not, rather we rejoice because no trail could or would befall us that God cannot help us bear it. In this life, we are all travellers with life bruises or struggles, and sometimes with little strength left or even the feeling of hopelessness. But we must know this truth that God our Lord is our help because His words are full of the greatest kindness, compassion, assurance and hope. So through His guided hands, He tenderly walks with each traveller, holding each one by the hand.

Fear is therefore one of the devil’s most popular weapons that he uses against us; injecting into people worry & anxiety. Fear can overwhelm us with a thick shadow of darkness, controlling our every move and decision. If one wants to worry, there is a lot one could potentially worry about; with all the crazy going on around us today; we fear for our families, financial future, safety, the list goes on…

Yet reality tells us that so much of that what we spend our time worrying about never even happens. Living under the weight of the “what if’s” is a hard place to dwell on, so we mustn’t dwell there.

Nevertheless, God’s words are ‘life’, soothing to our soul, calming to our spirits, giving power to our days. However, it often comes down to a personal choice of choosing not to allow fear & anxiety to control our lives, choosing to guard one’s heart and choosing to focus one’s mind on what is true in the midst of uncertain times.

There could be things that might cause us to be afraid but when we can believe that God is with us, we may not be control by fear but we can trust the one who is with us. We might not know the future but we can know the God who does.

Brothers & sisters, all of that stuff on one’s mind, give it to God again. Replace those fearful thoughts with His words of truth. When we do, please sleep in peace tonight; He knows what concerns us so He’s got us covered in Jesus name. Amen.