Fears.Do you have any?
I have no hesitation deciding the first and foremost thing I fear:
The Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Great I Am, Jehovah-Jireh, Abba Father, my Creator, the Almighty God!
Mind you, this is not to be confused as the same fear some may have when a spider runs across the floor or when a bad storm strikes outside. The fear I am referring to is one of astonishment and awe. It is a way of being afraid, but more in a form of trembling reverence, honor and respect.
Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
(Psalm 33:8)
But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
(II Kings 17:39)
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.
(Psalm 33:18)
O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
(Psalm 34:9)
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
(Psalm 103:13)
You see, when we have a fear of the Lord, we have no need to fear anything else. No battle, no enemy, no circumstance, no person or thing should be feared knowing we have favor with God because of our fear of Him.
Let me tell you, I despise cockroaches. I jump and run if I see one. If you're in the way of my escape route... you. will. be. run. down. There isn't an armed and ready approach, or a fight or flight decision... I take flight. Right now.
Although the fear of the Lord has so much more significance than my reaction to cockroaches, did you know that we are automatically armed and ready when we fear God? He is our armor! He is our strength! Proverbs chapter nine tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and additionally in Proverbs chapter fourteen that strong confidence comes from the fear of the Lord, giving us a place of refuge!
So not only is it our duty to fear God (Ecclesiastes 12:13), but we are rewarded with safety, protection, strength, and blessings when we do! This fear should have us constantly searching our hearts, minds, and lives for things we do and/or surround ourselves with, that would not be pleasing to God (Proverbs 3:7; Job 28:28; Proverbs 16:6). Allowing these things in our life, or making excuses for certain areas our flesh is not quite ready to give up, displays a lack of a fear of God.
Fear is not a good thing, unless it is the Lord, and the Lord alone, that you fear. Do I fail at this at times? Absolutely. I won't meet up with perfection until the day I join the Lord in heaven... the willingness to strive however, is what should set us apart from the rest of the world.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
(2 Timothy 1:7)
If we have fears over our circumstances, fears of our enemies, or fears of tomorrow, it's time to seek God's face and acknowledge that power, love, and sound mind He makes available to us when we fear Him, and Him alone.
