Do Not Fear
By John Weaver
November 1, 2017
Which of Jesus’ commandments do you think is the most disobeyed, neglected, and ignored today?
I once heard Brother Zac Poonen, a wise and gifted Bible scholar, say that he believed the most neglected commandment is the one that says to “Fear not.” When Brother Zac made this statement, he supported it by saying that the words “Fear not” are found in Scripture 144 times. Now, when talking about fear, he is not referring to the fear of God; this is a completely different kind of fear. The fear he was talking about, and the fear we will look at in this article, is the fear that involves things such as worry, anxiety, fret, etc.
The Bible stresses nothing as being more important than faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).
When you think about it, the opposite of faith is fear. God wants us to live a life of faith. He wants us to walk in faith, and then one day, to die in faith. We cannot live in fear and also live in faith; the two are not compatible, and one will cancel the other out. If we choose to live in fear, we are trusting ourselves rather than God.
We need to rely on the scripture that tells us to cast all our cares upon Him, for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We need to live in the reality of the song that says, He's bigger than all my problems, bigger than all my fears; God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see. What are the first words that angels often said when first meeting people in the Bible? “Fear not.”
What are the first words that God sometimes said when He first spoke to someone in the Bible? “Fear not.”
There are, of course, many things about which we can develop fears. We can have fear of failure, fear of dying, fear of sickness, fear of the unknown, fear of the future, and fear of the dark. But my friend, to all of these things, I say, “Fear not!” Every one of these things and many more are under the control of God. You just have to trust in Him.
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
Psalm 112:7
If you, on the other hand, are the one helping someone else become free from fear, remember that it will not work to try to explain that their fears are unfounded. To those affected by fears, they are real. They need to be delivered, not rationalized.
I gained understanding of this deliverance process when Brother Steve Stutzman gave the following example: In front of you is a young girl that is average height, weighs eighty pounds, and is so weak that she can hardly stand. This girl has one overriding fear. What is the fear? It is a fear that anyone can see is totally wrong just by looking at her. She fears that she is fat.
The person who is overtaken with fear will need love and compassion. They will need a helping hand to aid them in turning their fear to faith. Remember, it is faith that overcomes the world. Fear has torment, but faith will cause fear to leave.
My heart goes out to the person who lives in fear. I do not look down on anyone who has been overtaken in fear, because no one enjoys or wants to live in fear. Several times the Bible even calls fear a “spirit.”
Here are a few biblical examples that can be found on the topic of fear: For God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear (Romans 8:15). Psalm 34:4 says, I sought the Lord and he heard me, and DELIVERED me from ALL my fears.
Fear is imagining what might happen to us, whereas faith is knowing that God is in control and casting all our cares upon Him. A person who has been overtaken with fear will need prayer and deliverance. Praise God that he wants to deliver us from ALL of our fears.
Seek the Lord and tell Him about your fears. Choose to trust in the Lord. Memorize and believe the verses in the Bible that will help you to overcome. Proverbs is a great place to start!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Praise God! Truly, the Lord is on my side. I will not fear!
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