“You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.”
Deuteronomy 7:21, ESV
Fear and faith are not friends
Jesus, when I am fearful of man or circumstances, help me remember that you are in my midst and are great and awesome. You will be there for me, fight for me, encourage me, teach me and show me who you are and who I am.
The most oft stated command in scripture is “do not fear.” So many people, including many leaders, are fear-based rather than faith-based. When there is an opportunity in front of us, fear easily sets in and we quickly think of all the reasons why we can’t do it or that what we are thinking about won’t work.
Personally, I fear failure. I fear what others will think of me. I fear being embarrassed or incompetent. The Lord and I have had many conversations about this. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10) and, from my own experience, the fear of man is the beginning of folly and the end of faith.
FEAR AND FAITH ARE NOT FRIENDS, AND NEVER WILL BE.
“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” Proverb 29:25 (ESV)
The children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years due to fear. They missed out on God’s plan and purpose for them because they feared the people of the land which God had promised to give them. Moses sent spies into the land not to determine IF they would take over the land, but HOW they would take over the land. There is a monumental difference between IF and HOW!
I don’t want to go to God and tell him how big my problems (impossibilities, fears, obstacles) are, but go to my problems and tell them how big my God is.
My daughter Anna told me about a worship song by Tommy Walker entitled “We Will Remember” (check it out on iTunes sample.) It has become one of my favorite worship songs.
Here are the words of the chorus:
“We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the work of your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness.”
I forget too easily and need to be reminded of God’s faithfulness.
FEAR HAS A BAD/SHORT MEMORY AND FAITH HAS A GOOD/LONG MEMORY.
Jesus, help me remember your character, your promises and your power when fear takes over in my life. Help me to see you as bigger and greater than my fears and to step out in simple obedience as I am led and empowered by you. Amen
