Open your eyes

2 Ki 6:15-20 - When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria. As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

This is one of my favorite stories in the entire Bible. Elisha saw what the young man didn’t which was a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire. For the fear to be removed, Elisha first needed to pray. This is a great reminder. For our eyes to be open to the reality of the situation, we first need to pray. Prayer gives peace and comfort and power and joy. Elisha prayed for the servant to have his eyes open to see the spiritual reality of the situation. What a great prayer. If only we would pray that every time we feared, so that we could see God’s hand and His power present in a situation. The other prayer was to shut the eyes of the enemies. And then, in an amazing display he walked them a long distance to Samaria. May this be a reminder to us that when we are afraid, we ask that God would open our eyes and close the eyes of the enemy?

Do not Fear

Dt 10:21 - He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

Just as the servant had his eyes opened, we too have seen God perform great and awesome deeds. May we remember often and make Him our praise. Is He our praise today? May your prayer be today that He would open your eyes to see the great and awesome wonders He is performing daily in your midst to both remove fear and cause you to fear Him only.

Finding your courage in the Word

Do not Fear

2 Ki 1:15-17 - Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son.

When God speaks, or an angel speaks, or His word speaks, we have confidence and courage to act according to what has been said. In this occasion, an angel speaks to Elijah and tells him to go tell the king a very difficult message. There is nothing fun about this message, and yet Elijah obeys even though it could cost him his life. It is interesting the question that Elijah asks of the King, “Is it because there is no God in Isarael to inquire of His word?” God is still in Israel and His words stands both supreme and sovereign. It is His word that fills us with confidence to act courageously. It was the downfall of this king that He didn't seek the word of God and it was the courage of Elijah to hear and obey the word of God. The word gives us the confidence to act in obedience.

Fear God

Dt 4:10 - Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”

The beginning of revering or fearing God is hearing His words. Our courage comes from His words because we know that He is faithful and true. So, when we hear his words, we need to be careful to fear Him more in obedience than fear the situation we are in. In addition, we are commanded to pass them onto our children and the next generation.

Faith in God's promises removes Fear

1 Sa 23:15-18 - David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

Le 25:43 - Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God.

This message from Jonathan to David is significant. It isn’t the Lord speaking, but at the same time, it is. Jonathan is reminding David of what God has already told him, which is that He will be the king, he will not be found and that Jonathan will be with him. He also let him know that Saul knows this. Sometimes, we need to hear from people what God has already promised and made clear. It will fill us with courage and faith. We need to speak these words to each other and fill each other with the faith that will enable us to persevere and conquer fear. As it went, the only thing that did not happen in what Jonathan said here was that Jonathan would be next to him. Jonathan died in battle. But, truly, it was never promised that Jonathan would be there next to him, but the other things were. It does not have matter how much faith you have, but what you have your faith in.

Fear God

This is another great reminder in the book of Leviticus that when we fear God correctly, it will change how we live our lives. In this case, the Israelites are commanded to treat their countrymen, the Israelties as workers and not as slaves. We are to treat them well in the fear of God because they are servants of God. This is a great illustration of how fear God relates directly to how we should treat the children of God and those created in His image. As we fear and respect God, we will treat His people with a godliness that comes from this fear

Giants fall when fear is rightsized.

1 Sa 17:11 - When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

1 Sa 17:24 - All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.

1 Sa 17:31-37 - When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

What a great contrast in their respective responses to fear. Where Saul and the men of Israel responded with fear, David responded with courage and faith in his fear of God. He was more concerned with the glory of God than he was with the fear of man. Though this story is very familiar, there are some great principles to be gleaned from this story. First, remembering is important. David remembered how God came through for him in killing lions and bears, but Saul the men of Israel seemed to forget all that God had done. When we remember the character of God and how he acted and acts on our behalf, it will change our response to difficult and fearful situations. God is both good and in control, He is all powerful and intimately sovereign. Second, it is does matter the size or age or skill to act courageously. God delights in bringing Himself glory and does it more often through weak vessels so there is no question who get the glory. Third, when we fear our heart fails. Fear destroys courage and joy and peace. Fear defeats a person before the thing we fear ever does. When we fight for the glory of God, whether things that directly oppose God or even as simple as doing everything as unto God, we can be confident and courageous in the fear of God.

How considering God leads to Godly fear

Do not Fear and Fear God

1 Sa 12:19-25 - And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.”
And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

There are many passages that include both a command to not be afraid or fear not AND fear the Lord. This is one of them. After the Israelites wanted to be like all the other nations and have a king, they realized their sin. And Samuel, as the prophet and mediator, assures them that they have done evil, but they need not fear. God will not forsake his people. But, they are commanded to fear the Lord by considering the great things that he has done for them. This is a great description of how to fear the Lord. We fail in fearing God because we do not consider all that He has done for us. When we see His mercy towards us, His love, His holiness, His power, His sovereignty and His grace, when we see how good He has been to us, we grow in godly fear. Consider what the Lord has done for you today. Consider His faithfulness and grow in gratitude. As we consider the Lord, we serve Him.

Day 35 - God is worthy of Fear

1 Sa 4:5-8 - As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness.

⁹ Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” ¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹ And the ark of God was captured...

1 Sam 5:1-12

When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. ² Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. ³ And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. ⁴ But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. ⁵ This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. ⁶ The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. ⁷ And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” ⁸ So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. ⁹ But after they had brought it around, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. ¹⁰ So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” ¹¹ They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. ¹² The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

1 Sa 6:20-21 - Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”

I included this story as an example of the fear that the Philistines had for the Israelites God, but the fear wasn't complete until they saw that the God of the Israelites was more powerful than all their idols and greater than their health and their success. You can see the panic and the fear as they try desperately to get rid of this ark, as their cries are reaching Heaven, they end up sending it away by two cows who pull the ark toward the Israelites. This last line of this passage, "Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?" is a great question for us to ponder. May it leads us to fear God with reverence and awe and may it remove any fear of our own idols, our own worries and our own fears. It is a bit telling too, that the Philistines had more fear (at the beginning and deinfately at the end) then the Israelites. May the fear of God be greater than all is our hearts and may we know this God that is greater than all. A right fear will lead us to fearlessness.

Day 34 - Faith is the fuel for fearing God for fearless living

Do Not Fear
Jdg 7:9-14 - That same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”

I am not sure why God allows Gideon to hear what he does and gives him the grace that He shows here, but it is encouraging. We learn from the character of God that he is gracious, kind and gentle even in our humanly fears. Not that they are right or it is ever glorifying to God to fear, but in this case, he bends over backwards to fill Gideon with courage. Perhaps because God has twiddled the number down to 300, or to give him courage as a leader or just maybe because God has a sense of humor and delights in doing a miracle like this. Regardless, Gideon hears this and is filled with faith. Faith is fuel for fearless living. As Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ." Faith leads to courage and courage leads to action.

Fear God
Le 25:35-36 - “ ‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you.

The fear of God should dictate how we treat the poor among us. God has given the command to not take interest among a poor countrymen and the reason you are to obey the command is because you fear God. Fear leads directly to obedience. This is true because we fear consequence and we know that God is just. Faith is also the fuel for fearing God. Faith leads to obedience and obedience leads to righteousness (rom 5:19), others praising God for your obedience (2 Cor 9:13) and our showing our love for God through our obedience(2 John 2.6). Fear is the end, but all of this starts with faith, and faith begins with the words of God.

Faith is the fuel for fearing God so you may live a fearless life. Allow the words of God to dwell richly in you so that you may hear and obey and rejoice.

Day 33 - Courage and Obedience

Do not Fear

Jdg 7:2-3 - The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’ ” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.

This is an amazing passage of scripture. In order to save the Israelites the sin of pride, God purposefully reduces the amount of people so that only God can get the glory. As the story goes, the number gets reduced to 300 people and they defeated an army of 120,000. Though the passage does not say "do no fear," it does provide a very clear warning and example of what happens when we do fear. We miss out on glorifying and bringing honor to God. We give glory to that which we fear and we miss out. What a story these 300 men had to tell because they feared the God of the heavens.

Fear God
Le 25:17 - Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God.

If we fear God, we will not take advantage of each other. Why? Because we fear God and his discipline. When we fear God, it changes how we act on earth. Just as a child does not do something for fear of punishment from his father, we restrain on doing evil because we fear our heavenly father. This is why I believe John says what he does: 1 John 3:6 - No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. If we truly live in Him, and we understand his power, his holiness, his justice and his love, we will not keep intentionally doing the same sin. Fear keeps us from sin.

Day 32 - Jdg 6:23

Do not Fear and Fear God

Jdg 6:23 - But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”

Gideon has just seen an angel of the Lord and the words to Him are, "Do not fear, you shall not die." He would not have been commanded to not fear if their wasn't reason for fear. The angel of the Lord in all his holy array and beauty and glory just set fire to his offering and then disappeared. But the Lord still speaks these kind and gracious words to Gideon who in turn builds an altar before the Lord and names it, "The Lord is peace." What a great reminder that in the midst of fear, if we fear God only, we can have peace, a peace that passes all understanding. As Isaiah 8 attests that when we fear Him, he becomes a sanctuary. This vision of God emboldens Gideon to obey and follow the commands of God to the point where he destroys the altar to Baal that night. The verse belies his true motive by doing it at night: Jdg 6:27 - So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime." These honest words describe not only the condition of the Israelites spiritual state, but also that even seeing an angel of God, Gideon was still filled with fear. Whether it was a statement of his shrewdness, the reality of the present state of the the Israelites, or true cowardly fear, Gideon still gets the job done and it is an encouragement to us that God is gracious with fearful people like us.

Day 31 - Jos 11:3-6 & Le 22:31-33

Do not Fear
Jos 11:3-6 - to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight with Israel. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”

The imagery of troops joined together which number the sand of the sea is intimidating but the Lord once again gives Joshua confidence and says, "Do not be afraid of them." If there was a time to be afraid it was this one. The troops are tired, the numbers of enemies are growing and they are teaming up together. This is the last war before peace. You can imagine him wondering, "Will God come through for this last one?" God is faithful and commands us not to fear. We bank our hopes on his faithfulness and walk in faith, not fear.

Fear Not
Le 22:31-33 - “Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who makes you holy
and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”

Though this verse doesn't use the words fear, the Lord commands fear of his holiness. Keep my commands and follow them. Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy. Why must he be acknowledged as holy? We acknowledge him as holy because He is holy, Because it is for our own good that we set Him apart as holy and by His holiness, we can trust Him in his goodness and his wisdom and his love. We can fully obey because we know that nothing he commands is for our harm and nothing He will say will lead us to evil. We are to fear Him, to allow that fear to change what we do and how we think. And He is the one who makes us holy, He is our God and He is the Lord. We must continue to set him apart from anything we know and understand. He is the one we are to fear. He is worthy of that reverence and respect.

Day 30 - Josh10:25 & Lev 19:32

Do Not Fear
Jos 10:25 - And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

This verse is a bit different, because it is Joshua talking and not the Lord. But I included it because the message is finally sticking and the courage that Joshua shows is word for word what the Lord has been telling Him. When we listen to the Lord and trust Him, we can begin to encourage others in this journey of learning to not fear.

Fear God

Leviticus 19:32 -“You shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

We need this message to stick with us. Simple. To the point. Life-changing, awe-inspiring, God enabling...

Day 29 - Joshua 10:8 & Ex 34:10

Do not Fear
Joshua 10:8 - And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”

After walking all through the night to get to this city, Joshua gets this message from the Lord. God's track record is pretty good, that when He says you win, they win. And, God does two miracles in this routing of this next city, including sending down huge hailstones which destroyed more soldiers than Israel's sword and Joshua also prayed that the sun would stop for a period of time and it did. Where God leads you, go with confidence and courage. Don't be afraid to pray big prayers.

Fear God

Ex 34:10 - Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.

I am not sure what I can comment on this verse that will add to it... God is, will, does awesome works that cannot be matched and are worthy to be feared.

Day 28 - Josh 8:1-2 & Ex 20:18

Do not Fear
Joshua 8:1-2 - 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. 2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”

This command to not be afraid comes at an important time for Joshua. A few chapters earlier, Joshua had sent a small band of his army to defeat the city of Ai, but was routed and 36 Israelites died. This was the first time the Israelites had been defeated and Joshua threw himself before the Lord in grief and confusion. The Lord responded to Joshua by telling him to get up and that the reason they were defeated was because someone had sinned. After letting God lead them to the right person, Aachan admitted that he had taken some precious jewelry when he was commanded not to. The consequence of his coveting was huge. But, as a result, with the Israelites now forgiven and holy, they are having a second chance at this city. So, the Lord reminds Joshua to not be afraid or dismayed and literally gives him the brilliant battle plan. Joshua did exactly what the Lord told him to do and it worked well. Sin destroys lives, leads to failure and defeat and causes grief for everyone. The only requirement by God here was to be holy and obedient. What a great encouragement to us this morning that holiness can lead to fearlessness. If we are holy before the Lord, we have nothing to fear.

Fear God
Ex 20:18 - When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance

If only we had this respect for God in every decision and every temptation. Someday we will see with eyes wide open the glory of God and we will fall down before him and worship like the angels in Heaven do, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty who was, who is and is to come..."

Day 27 - Josh 1:9

Do not Fear and Fear God
Joshua 1:9 - 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.”

When we think of a verse that will comfort us in our fears, most people come to this one. It again strikes me that all we are commanded to do is to either BE or not to BE... BE strong. BE courageous. Do Not BE frigthened. Do not BE dismayed. It isn't a matter of war or strategy or innovativeness or ingenuity. Joshua is to be strong and he is not to be frightened. That is the extent of the commandment of God. The reason I believe He says this is because when we fear, we are unable to carry out the will of God. Fear paralyzes and gives someone or something more power than God. And the reason, again, that we are to be or not to be is because the LORD (the God of all Gods, the creator, the sustainer, the judge, the most powerful and righteous and Holy one) who is also YOUR God, is with you wherever you go. Again, the character of God is our foundation, our cause and effect, for our well-being. If you are going to fear anything, fear displeasing him, disobeying him, not trusting him or forgetting Him. That should be your biggest concern.

Day 26 - Deut 31:8

Do not Fear and Fear God
Deuteronomy 31:7-8 - 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Moses summons Joshua and encourages Him in the sight of all Israel to be strong and courageous. His strength and his courage is found in the Lord who goes before you, he will be with you and he will never leave you... There is no time that God will not be with Joshua, ever. This is just another reason for us to study the character of God. There more we know about him, the more we know Him, the greater our ability to rest in his care, his power and his Will for our life. If we are in fear, we are saying that which we fear has more power that God. The more we consistently mediate on the character of God, the greater our ability to overcome fears in our life. Fear God only and everything else will be rightsized.

Day 25 - Deut 31:6

Do not Fear and Fear God

Deuteronomy 31:6 - 6 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.”

This was Moses challenge to the people on the occasion of Moses' 120th birthday. He saw that his end was near, and he was giving the challenge to the next generation who would conquer the promised land. If you read this passage in context, you get the basis for why they are not supposed to fear. Moses said that the Lord will go over the Jordan before them, that He will destroy the nations before them, and that He will give them (the nations) to them. The only thing that the Israelites had to do was to be strong and courageous (not do strong and courageous, just BE) and do not fear them... Again, he reminds them the reason for no fear is because it is the Lord your personal and loving God who goes with you. And, he will not leave or forsake you. I am not sure if we could ask for any greater assurances or promises in these verses. He could just say, "Don't fear!" but instead he gives us Himself as the reason for not fearing. Fear Him as the protector, the powerful one, and the faithful one . I find this comforting and encouraging.

Day 24 - Deut 28:58-60

Do Not Fear and Fear God
Deuteronomy 28:58-60 - 58 “If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, 59 then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. 60 And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you.

This verse rings with a powerful warning that if we do not fear God by His obeying His word, that which we fear, the diseases, shall cling to us. It is almost as if what we are afraid of will happen if we don't fear God and obey His word. It is not to be taken literally like this but it was for the Israelites and it is not a stretch to believe that. If something is consuming us with fear in such away that we do not obey or trust God and His will for our lives, it may not be that which we fear, but we will experience his discipline to correct us so that we have our fears rearranged for our own good. What a great reminder to fear God only, to trust in His Word and to obey and love and cherish His book. And I think the word careful is a word that I haven't seen much in our generation and in our culture. It is more about our desires and plans and feelings and thoughts and hence, fears, than it is about His will, His plans and His desires. When we disobey, our hearts become hard and we will not fear God.

Day 23- Dt 20:8 and Ex 19:12

Do not Fear
Deuteronomy 20:8 - 8 And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.’

When we fear, not only do we miss out on God's will, we have a negative impact on others. Our courage encourages people and our fear discourages people. Trust God and others will as well!

Fear God
Ex 19:12 - Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.

God's grace gives people limits and boundaries. He shows us where and how we should fear. I do not think that if had heard this warning I would be anywhere near that line, and yet day after day, I tip toe as close as I can. God is to be feared. He is to revered. We must never forget that He is just and He is righteous and he demands holiness and obedience.

Day 22 - Dt 20:2-4 & Ex 18:21

Do not Fear
Deut 20:2-4 - 2 And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people 3 and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, 4 for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’

The priest speaks for God and encourages them with God's words. Even as we go into battle, we are commanded to not be faint, to not be fearful or to panic or to be in dread of them. Not only will God be with us, but that he will fight for us and will give the victory. It is good for us to understand that if we do allow our heart to be faint and we do fear or panic, we will miss out doing the will that God has for us. Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear does not please God. Fear does not trust God. Fear keeps us from doing God's will.

Fear God

Exodus 18:21 -Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

In this passage, it is clear that the people who fear God are trustworthy and they hate bribes. They are reliable and they are to be leaders. Why is this so? Because people who fear God are afraid of doing wrong, so they do right. Those who are not trustworthy or do not hate a bribe do fear God. So clear and so true. Does this apply to you? Does your fear of God make you trustworthy and honest?

Day 21 - Deut 20:1-2 & Ex 14:31

Do not Fear
Deuteronomy 20:1-2 - “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

God names the things that can cause fear. Enemies can cause fear. Horses and chariots give the enemies advantage and intimidation. Having a larger enemy brings dread. But God's command therefore our response is that we would not be afraid of them. The reason we should not be afraid is because the Lord (the God of the Hebrews, the God over all people, the creator, the judge, the ruler of all) your God (a personal God who loved them and cared for them) is with them. Moses reflects back on his the proof of this which is that he brought them out of Egypt. What should cause us fear? Nothing. The God of all Gods who is your God is with you.

Fear God

Exodus 14:31 -Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

This shows that fear comes when we see the great power of God, but knowing how this story ended, that fear can be forgotten and lost. When we fear the Lord properly, it leads to belief. When we believe, we obey.

Day 20 - Deut 18:21-22 & Ex 9:30

Do not Fear
Deuteronomy 18:21-22 - 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

The context of this passage is the coming of the Messiah, the coming prophet who will speak the words of God. The question is then anticipated, "How do we know if the Lord has spoken?" And the reply is if the words do not come true, you do not need to fear or be afraid of him. There have been many false prophets that have come since then, proclaiming when the day of the Lord will come back, teaching different religions and doctrines and teaching things that are evil like witchcraft and demonism, but God reassures us here that there is nothing that can cause fear compared to the power and sovereignty of God. Nothing is greater than God and in him only, need we fear.

Exodus 9:30 -But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.”

Moses is speaking here to Pharoah and his court. He knew that even though he would grant them temporary relief from their plagues, that the heart of Pharoah was still hard. This is a huge insight into fearing God. When our heart our hard, there is no fear of of God. Ask God to soften your heart today, humble yourself before the Almighty...

Day 19 - Deut 7:17-23

Deuteronomy 7:17-23 - 17 “If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’ 18 you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, 19 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20 Moreover, the Lord your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. 21 You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. 22 The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. 23 But the Lord your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed.

As Moses is reflecting back on 40 years of God's provision and victory, he implores them to remember... I think remembering what God has done is the first key to believing on Him in the future. To often we don't slow down long enough to remember God and how He has worked for His glory in our lives. I also am encouraged by the detail of how they will take over the land, the details which show God is all powerful and sovereign. The one thing the Israelites are asked to do is not fear. Trust me, He says, and I will do all the rest. Fear me and you will not need to fear.

day 18 - Deut 3:21-22 & Ex 9:20

Do not fear
Deuteronomy 3:21-22 -And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing. 22 You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’

Moses is still recounting the years gone by and and is now exhorting Joshua and he prepares to take over the leadership. I have found doing these blogs that the the exhortation to not fear is usually preceded by a reason not to fear. In this case, it is the evidence of a God unseen who has defeated two kings by his might. We shall not fear because what he did then, He has promised to do now. Therefore, we do not need to fear because it is God who fights for us. it is important to remember that before we fear, we need to remember the God who is worth fearing alone.

Fear God
Exodus 9:20 -Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses,

Fear moves men. Fear of God results in faith in his words.

Day 17 - Deut 3:1-3 & Ex 3:5

Deuteronomy 3:1-3 -“Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 2 But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ 3 So the Lord our God gave into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people...

Moses continues his memoir of sorts to the people and in this incident, God says to Moses, "Do not fear!" He then gives him a reason not to fear, one, because he has given him in to your hands, and then two, he gives him something to have faith by reminding him of the time he led Moses to victory over a similar king. Often God calls us to do things that will lead us to fear, and when he does, he will remind us first of who He is, His strength and power and sovereingty, and then he reminds us of what he has already done in us and through us. It is with this that we must walk by faith and not by sight and trust and fear our God who alone is immortal and invisible and the only wise God.

Ex 3:5 - “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

Fear of God sometimes needs to be something we are trained in... Because I am holy, you are to take off your sandals. Because I am God, you need to revere me. It is for your best interest.

Day 16 - Deut 1:26-40 & Exodus 1:21

Do not Fear

Deuteronomy 1:26-40 - 26 “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. 27 And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.” ’ 29 Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, 33 who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go. 34 “And the Lord heard your words and was angered, and he swore, 35 ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers,

Moses is doing a little instant replay, reminding the Israelites of their sin of fear and unbelief. It is a powerful journal of sorts of where and how they went wrong and the punishment that followed. It is important for us to watch this from afar, to see how easy it is to fear and yet how angry it made God. Look at the words that Moses used here: They rebelled against what they knew was right, they murmured or complained against God, they accuse God of hating them, and of having not a good will, but an evil will to hurt them. And maybe the worst is that they did not believe God, either his promises to them for the future or in spite of the miracles he had done in the past. The Lord hears our words and he is angry when we fear in such a way that we do not do his will. That is perhaps the worst thing about fear is that it keeps us from doing His will as we are supposed to live by faith and not by sight. When we fear God appropriately, we believe His word, we trust his goodness and we worship Him in his sovereignty.

Fear God

Exodus 1:21 - And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

I love this verse. There is blessing when we fear God by trusting him in faith.