God thinks your valuable so don't worry

Lk 12:22-24 - And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

This passage has some real great insights. First, it declares how valuable we are in God’s sight. We have more value than birds and yet God values birds enough that God feeds each one. God is going to take care of his children. Second, life is more than food and clothing. It is ironic that life revolves around these two extremes: for some, life is about spending exorbitant amounts of money for food and clothing and for others, life is about finding enough food and clothing to survive the day. God says that we are not to be anxious about our life in any way because regardless of your status, he will care for you if you fear Him more than anything else.

Pr 19:23 - The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

This verse seems the perfect counterpart to the previous verse. When we fear God only, we rest content and untouched by trouble. When God is all we fear, and we believe that he values us enough to care for in all situations, it leads us to a content life of rest in the midst of daily life, regardless of our place.

Fear that teaches us how to overcome anxiety

Lk 12:11-12 - And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

When a verse is repeated in the different gospels, you know it is important. This verse or at least renditions of this verse are found in Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is so important because it is so revolutionary. One, you are predicting something difficult is about to happen. Two, God is providing both a command, do not be anxious and a promise, the Holy Spirit will speak through you. I love that we are not to defend ourselves. God doesn’t need our defense. The Holy Spirit is more than capable of communicating his message in his timing for his purposes. He just needs us to fear Him more than anything else and trust that He is capable of doing what he wants through us if we just trust Him.

Ps 34:11 - Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

I have been feeling like this verse is written for this occasion. These verses are teaching us the fear of the Lord so we can fear God and not man. When we fear the Lord, we will not need to be anxious, we will believe the Holy Spirit will speak and we will not need to defend ourselves. How do we learn the Fear of the Lord? Well, according to the next verses:

Ps 34:12-14 - Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

We recognize that our God hates sin and we choose to obey Him because we fear Him. Anxiety is sin. Worry is sin. It is feeling and believing that God is out of control. Thus, we must turn from evil and turn to Him. Fearing God is the solution to killing anxiety.

How Anxiety destroys our relationship with Jesus

Lk 10:38-42 - Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Like a small cloud blocking a large sun, anxiety chooses control or pride or selfishness and blocks out the good portion of a simple, uninterrupted relationship with Jesus. Where Martha was trying to get some points for serving and doing good things, it led her to anxiety and a troubled spirit. Mary chose to sit and listen. It was true fear because she understood there was something better there than anything else. True fear realizes the greatness of God and it changes everything. It was not wrong for Martha to serve, but it was wrong to be anxious over her serving and to resent her sister. There are a lot of reason for anxiety and all of them are bad because they take us out of a simple and pure devotion to our Lord. Martha could have had the same devotion in her serving as Mary had in her listening if she would have understood Jesus.

Pr 19:23 - The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Is there any better description than the heart of Mary than this verse? She was content and untouched by trouble because her fear of the Lord led her to true life. I just think that Mary is the solution to so many of our problems, that if we would just sit at the feet of Jesus, in trials, hard times, and even in our busy, stressful times, we would find the perspective and the wisdom to see us through all our trouble.

How fearing God transforms anxiety

Mk 13:9-11 - “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

It is one thing to fear when tragedy or difficulty happens suddenly and quite another when you know ahead of time that it is going to happen to you. The disciples were promised abuse, beating, and imprisonment. But, they were also promised something even greater, which is the Holy Spirit speaking through them to the glory of God. The one thing that they were commanded not to do was to be anxious beforehand, but to fear God only, and to trust in Him so that he would say what He needed to say through the disciples. It is amazing how we can interfere with God’s using us when we allow anxiety to interrupt us. Anxiety is essentially a lack of trust in God that He is big enough in the situations to do what he desires to do. All he needs is some people who will trust Him at his Word so that He can accomplish what He desires through our lives for His glory.

Ps 60:4 - But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.Selah

This verse seems to really be appropriate in light of Mark 13:9-11 because of it s approach against the enemy. The banner of fearing God is all we need against the enemy. God will fight the battle. Our battle is to remain in the fear of God, fully convinced that He is not only in full control, but will use the situation for His glory. When we start to worry, we must boldly unfurl that banner in the face of evil by coming back to this understanding that fearing God is our first defense and our only defense against the enemy. He will keep us in perfect peace, in His will and living for eternity in the temporary as long as we understand that greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world.

Anxiety replaced by true Fear

Mt 10:19-20 - When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

I think this is probably the clearest example of the power and intimacy of God working through our lives when you might be tempted towards anxiety. God commands us not to be anxious and the reason we are not to be anxious is because the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you. Don’t worry about what you will say because God is in control. The opposite of this though, if they chose to worry, God would not be able to speak through them, because they lack faith and thus are not controlled by the Spirit but are in essence controlling themselves and quenching the Spirit. God is always the answer for anxiety. We are anxious because we are trying to control the situation. Anxiety happens when we realize that we are not in control. Jesus reminds us that He is in control of the situation and thus we need to solely depend on Him. When we do that, we will not be anxious.

Ps 40:3-4 - He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

I like this verse because it is God who puts the song in our mouths, it is He who glorifies Himself through our words when we fear God instead of fear man. When we trust God, others will learn to fear Him as well. It is God who puts the words in our mouths when we commit to fearing Him only and others will learn to fear.

Fearing God and Blessing

Mt 6:33-34 - But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

We are not to be anxious about tomorrow. We are not to be anxious about anything. Anxiety is fearing trouble upon yourself. Jesus said that we are not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will be anxious for itself. There is enough trouble in the day that each day is enough to worry about. But, what is amazing about this command is that before it, it isays to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. If we seek God and fear God, we will not be anxious about anything. When we consider God and his power, and holiness and goodness and faithfulness, all our anxieties will fade away.

Ps 115:11-13 - You who fear him, trust in the Lord— he is their help and shield. The Lord remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless those who fear the Lord— small and great alike.

The result and reward of fearing God is blessing. Fearing and trusting in God results in help, a shield and overwhelming blessing. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Therefore, fearing God brings blessing. When we are anxious, when we fear situations more than we fear God, we will not experience his blessing. This couldn’t be any more clear of a warning for us to not be anxious and an initiation to fear God unto blessing.

Fear that fulfills

Mt 6:25-33 - “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Anxiety and fear, I think, are sisters. They both feed on the same thing, which is God is not in control and I want to be in control or I am in control or I need to be in control. Anxiety is a lack of trust in God and the recognition that the situation is to big for me to control. Anxiety is fearing harm or loss of something valuable, and thus fear fears the unknowable. Anxiety is merely our body sounding an alarm that I am trying to control something I have no business or ability to control. Someone may say, "I am not fearful. I am just anxious." They are basically the same thing and thus it is necessary for us to treat them as the same evil distraction which seeks to displace the sovereignty and goodness of God from His rightful throne in our lives.

Ps 34:9 - Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

Anxiety worries over a lack of something or losing something, whereas fearing the Lord leads us to a place of provision and peace so that we lack nothing. It really is one or the other. And the promise awaits fulfillment if we walk in faith and fear of the lord.

The break is over...

For those who read this blog, thanks for your patience as I have take a half time break and am now ready to resume... Thanks for your prayers.

Fear that hopes

Ro 8:14-17 - For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Slavery produces fear. Serving produces trust. When we don’t fear God, we will fear something else. Those who fear God receive a Spirit of Adoption that allows for an intimate relationship where instead of a cold, dead relationship, there is an intimate fatherly relationship. The Spirit bears witness that we are children of God, who have all the rights of being a son and a heir to all that is ours for inheritance. It is true that we will suffer, but it isn’t nothing to be afraid of, because we have the promise of a God who cares for us and a future inheritance awaiting us.

Fear works

Ac 10:1-8 - At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.” When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

This is a great story of fearing God and then being in terror of God. Cornelius gets both. Look at the description of him, a gentile and centurion. He was a devout man who feared God in such a way that his entire household had been influenced by his faith. And his fear of God worked itself out in works, as he gave money to the poor and prayed continually to this God. When he was praying he saw and angel and he was terrified. But, the angel spoke good words to him. The outworking of this faith that he had, which he didn’t fully understand at the time, the alms and the prayers, had become a memorial before God. And now he was going to be rewarded by sending Peter to teach them about the faith that he would come to know. This story is important on many levels. Faith should lead us to works. Fear leads us to faith. We will be influenced by our faith if we fear God honesty and personally.

Fear doesn't matter...

Ac 27:21-26 - Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”

I have always heard that the safest place to be is in God’s will, and this verse kind of proves that point. It really is about God’s purposes for us. We will live as long as he wants us to live and no more. God wanted Paul to stand before Caesar and Paul was going to stand before Caesar. There wasn’t any storm that was going to be able to change the plan of God.

Ac 9:31 - So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that the church was being built up when it was walking in the fear of the Lord. And I think the comfort of the Holy Spirit is a direct result of walking in the fear of the Lord. When we fear God, meaning when we consider him above all fears, and obey him because of our fear of Him, we will be built up and comforted.

Ps 96:4-5 - For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

Our God is to be feared above all Gods. There is no God as great as our God. He has made the Heavens and the earth and all that are in them. He is sovereign over all the earth. Therefore nothing can happen outside his control. Though you may not have an angel come down today, be encouraged that God has a plan for your life. Nothing can keep you from that plan except yourself.

A fear that rules...

Ac 18:8-11 - Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

These are encouraging word from Paul who after a difficult experience with the Jews, was going to the Gentiles. I am sure Paul was both discouraged and depressed. His own people not only rejected Jesus, but also threatened Paul. The encouraging words to Paul are that God has chosen some in the place to believe in Christ and that he will be free from attacks for a period of time. As it is, he stayed there for a year and six months teaching the Word of God to them. When Christ said in a vision, “Do not be afraid,” he was basically saying, “Don’t fear them, fear me.” It is really one or the other. If Paul feared them more than God, he would not have been obedient to the command to stay and preach. Fear keeps us from obeying God. Therefore, fear rules our lives. Which fear will you allow to rule your life?

Fear that is elminated by peace

Jn 20:19-23 - On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”

It seems that Jesus has told the disciples countless times to fear Him only, but with Jesus now gone, and with only rumors of his resurrection, they are locked in a room because the fear the Jews. It is hard to blame them. After seeing how Jesus was brutally murdered, the disciples wanted none of it. Jesus had to prove that he was the only one to fear, and he first started with the physical barriers, a locked door. Jesus came and stood among them. Then, he said the words that eliminated all fear – peace. The word peace is a the Hebrew word shalom which is a word that both secures composure in difficult trouble and dissolves fear. He said it twice. Peace be with you and then he said that he is sending them out to do what he had done. And to give them the security and the assurance and the power, he breathed on them the Holy Spirit. Jesus would not always be with them, but the Holy Spirit would be, and the results would be the same: peace and not fear.

Fear that stays above ground

Jn 19:38 - After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.

This verse really stuck out to me. A disciple of Jesus but he was a secret disciple because of the Jews. It is admirable that he came and took the body of Jesus and buried him, and maybe this was his breakout time, where he didn’t care what anyone thought anymore. But it is clear that when we fear something more than we fear God, it drives us underground. We are not witnesses as we should be when we fear something that is not God. Fearing people or circumstances or religion or reputations can lead people to be less than disciples of Christ. Fear is detrimental to being a disciple of God because we allow something with more power to earn our worship. Is there anything you fear more than God right now that is causing you to go underground?

Fear that brings peace

Jn 14:25-27 - “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Peace and fear cannot co-exist. In order to have peace, there needs to be an absence of fear. The fear of God is the only thing that can replace the fear of man or the fear of the unknown or fear of loneliness. You can’t un-fear what you fear so that the only solution is replacing fear with a greater fear. In this case, Jesus is replacing the fear of losing Him with a Helper, the Holy Spirit. The reason they do not have to be afraid is because someone greater than fear will bring peace and with help you in time of need. When we fear our hearts are troubled and afraid. God’s peace assumes control in our chaotic life and hedges us in with love.

Fear that rules

Jn 12:15-19 - “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Jn 12:42-43 - Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

The moment of truth has come. Which fear will win? Will it be the fear of God or the fear of Men? The same people who saw Jesus heal the dead man Lazarus were told not to fear, because their King, God, was riding in on a colt. Later, as the evidence was building, many authorities believed as well. But, they chose not to confess it because of the fear of man. There really is only room for one fear in your life, the fear of God or the fear of man. Whichever you fear more will ultimately rule your life.

Fear that get us where we are going...

Jn 6:16-21 - When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

It is amazing how circumstances can breed such fear. It was dark, Jesus had not yet come, the sea was rough, a strong wind came blowing, and they had rowed and rowed and yet had not reached their destination. Then to top it off, they see a man walking on the water. No one would fault the disciples for their fear. But, look how quickly their fear dissipates, when they hear the words of Jesus, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Fear turns into gladness and they got where they were going. This story placed 2000 years ago is not unlike our situations now, where darkness and stormy seas can lead to fear. May the words of Jesus calm our fear and right our perspective that God is in control.

Fear that leads to faith

Lk 23:39-43 - One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

What great timing for the “other” man to understand the fear of God. Whereas the one man was railing on Jesus, the other was fearing Him. That fear led to faith and salvation. This verse underscores the absolute necessity of fear. It was the fear of God that led Him to faith in God. The reply by Jesus is basically, “Do not Fear! You will be with me today in paradise!” That is the encouragement for all of us! We will be with Him today in paradise, too, if we fear Him as God and Savior. And if the end result is true, than there should be nothing for us to worry about all the rest of our days.

No fear in the Future

Lk 21:5-9 - And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

As the signs appear for the end times, do not be terrified of them. Don’t worry about what other people worry about. Don’t be afraid of sign and destruction. Don’t go after them. These things are all part of what must take place. In short, fear me and don’t fear anything else.

faith and fear made practical

Lk 12:32-34 - “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This command to fear not comes on the heels of the passage commanding the disciples to not worry about food or drink or what they will wear. We are commanded to not fear where our money will come from or how we will eat. God will take care of us. But, fear God by trusting Him. Fearing God requires faith. And as we fear God more than our needs on this earth, he will give us not only our daily bread but also the kingdom.

faith and fear and persistence

Lk 18:1-8 - And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

When we fear God, we will have faith. Faith produces godly fear. This will win out so that we can approach God in faith. This judge didn’t fear God, but didn’t want to be worn out by the lady. But it was her persistence that enabled her to keep going. Persistence is faith in action and if faith is the opposite of fear, this should be a great lesson for us.

The eternity of fear

Lk 12:4-7 - “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

We are not to fear those who can kill the body. We are only to fear the one who has authority to cast into hell or heaven. Our eternal destination is a lot greater than our life here on earth. Therefore, we can lead a fearless life if we have understood and believed in Christ for eternal salvation. The God who knows the number of hairs on our head is very much involved in our lives. We will not be forgotten. So, we need to fear God only in the difficult times. Nothing on this earth should make us fear.

A fear wrongly diagonsed

Lk 8:26-39 - Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

The people in village were afraid of this demon-possessed man. He was bound with chain and shakles and left by himself to be tortured by these demons. When Jesus came and cast the demons out, the fear of this demon-possessed man was now a fear of this man who had cast the demons out. Where the man who was healed and made whole began to go throughout the city to proclaim the goodness of God, these people in the village missed it. They had the wrong fear of God and thus missed (forever?) knowing the God of the universe. Sometimes it is common and easy to fear God wrongly. Instead of a fear that draws us in and teaches us how to live, they feared God and sent him away. We send God away as if he was some bad-luck charm and we don’t understand that that the fear of God is beginning of wisdom.

Faith must win over fear

Lk 8:40-42 - Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.

Lk 8:49-56 - While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

The fear of his daughter dying led him to Jesus because He feared God more. But, when the news came that the daughter was dead, he must have given way to fear and sorrow. Jesus replies to him, “Do not fear!” He encourages him to have faith in Him and if you do, she will be well. Fear is cured by belief in the one who is worthy to fear. Jairus went from fear to faith because the one worthy of fear commanded it. How important it is that faith wins out over fear!

Fear makes Him bigger and me smaller

Lk 2:8-18 - And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

The shepherds experienced fear when they saw the angels. They were told "fear not" by the angels. And then they feared the angels and did not fear what society would think of them when they went and told the message to Mary and Joseph. Fear of God and no fear of man should be the norm in our lives. The shepherds who were the bottom rung of society were chosen to tell the greatest news ever. But, without a command to not fear God and an experience of fearing God, they wouldn’t have been the messenger. The more we fear God, the greater witness we will be. We need to grow in the fear of God by focusing on growing in the knowledge of the Holy one. The bigger he becomes, the the less about ourselves we will be.

Fear that leads to worship

Lk 8:22-25 - One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

The disciples were in fear of the water and the waves and of dying. They didn’t fear the God who was in the boat. God rebukes the wind and the waves and then basically equates faith with fear. If you have fear, you won’t have the faith required to believe in me in the storm. If we have faith, we will fear that which deserves to be feared, namely, God. When we have faith, our fear changes and instead of fearing the storm, we fear the one who can calm the storm. Our fear leads to worship and God is glorified.

The blessings and curses of Fear

Lk 5:1-11 - On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Again, a great example of how fear of God leads to a fearless (eventually) life. Peter recognized his sinfulness in light of the miracle of Jesus and was told “Do Not Fear” and then given a purpose for his life. Jesus said, “You will be a catcher of man!” What was it that Peter was fearing? He was fearing God because of His sin, as if someone were standing near you who could read your mind, who was perfectly holy and was powerful enough to do the impossible.

This example of how Jesus turned fear into purpose is astonishing. It should serve as an example to us that the more we fear and repent, the greater that God will use us. Instead of being crushed in his sin, Peter is elevated out of his fear with a new purpose and reason for living. The recognition of our sin leads to fearing God. The command to not fear is God calling us to live with power and security and joy in this world. The more we fear God, the less we will fear in this world to do that which God has purposed for us to do. Fear keeps us from doing the purposes of God.

Fear that obeys

Lk 1:26-50 - In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

This is another example of the evolution of fear. Mary was greatly troubled by seeing Gabriel, she was told “Do not be Afraid” and then during Mary’s Magnificat worship she says, “His mercy is for those who fear Him!” Again and again, we see this through the gospels of this relationship between fearing God and not fearing anything else. We see the awesomeness of God and his angels and yet the consolation of not needing to fear anything. I think our generation is missing out on the blessing that comes with fearing God only. We fear so much because we don’t understand the fear of God. If we understood the fear of God, the fears of this world would become less and less.
Jas 4:5-6 - Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Fearing that leads to obedience

Lk 1:11-17 - And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” ¹⁸ And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” ¹⁹ And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

Here is a classic case of fear and doubt being stronger than the fear of God. As a result, Zechariah is mute for nine months. I am sure he had a lot to think about over the nine months that John was in his wife’s tummy, and he probably learned a fear greater than he had ever known. What a privilege to both see an angel and then have such a direct consequence. Often I wonder if the point of discipline from the Lord is used to build our faith and our fear in God. Zechariah did go against all common sense and tradition when his tongue was unloosed when he said, “His name will be John.” And you bet it affected the way he parented this young man in the Lord. Hebrews 12:5-6 say “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Fearless to a fearing world

Mk 16:1-8 - When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

This is situation where fear of God and fear of man clash and it looks like the fear of man wins. They are supposed to tell the disciples and Peter that he is going to Galilee. But they told no one. One wonders why they told no one, but you have to wonder if it was because she was a woman, that she was even at the tomb, and that she had a spotty past. Why would Jesus show up first to her? And yet the fear of God had consumed her with trembling and astonishment. We can’t be afraid to do that which the world doesn’t understand, and it will only be a true fear of God and the Holy Spirit’s enablement that will help us be fearless to a fearing world.

Fear that breaks hard hearts...

Mk 6:45-52 - Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Could it be that it is our hard hearts prevent us from fearing God? They shouldn’t have been utterly astounded by walking on water because they had seen him feed five thousand. I am not sure which is easier: breaking loaves or walking on water. I think they are both the same in degree of difficulty. So, when the disciples saw Jesus walking on water, if there hearts were hard, they wouldn’t have been so astounded. But, they were astounded because they didn’t have the proper fear of God, yet. God said do not be afraid because I am the only one worthy of true fear. But, this is a great insight into what keeps us from true fear, namely, heart hearts.

Fear of God follows faith...

Mk 5:35-43 - While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

It seems that there are two options when it comes to fear. Either you fear or you have faith. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus commands people not to fear, but to have faith. The natural default seems to be fear and so we must actively have faith for faith to win out. After Jesus healed this daughter against the face of adversary and opposition, they were overcome with amazement or awe or in essence, fear. When we have faith and we see God work, it leads to a correct fear. The more we fear God, the more he can do through us. The previous chapter was about a woman who was bleeding for many years and she had faith that even an indirect touch would heal her. Her faith was rewarded and when Jesus discovered who had touched her, she fell down with fear and trembling. Fear of God follows faith but fear of man hinders faith. Faith requires risk as in this situation where the ruler of the synagogue had put his reputation at risk as the mourners laughed at this desperate man, he trusted Jesus and was rewarded with the life of her daughter, brought back from the dead.

Faith that dissolves fear

Mk 4:35-41 - On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”

Again, this is a great example of God teaching true fear through nature and miracles. The disciples are at first fearful of the boat being capsized by the water. Than they are commanded not to fear anything. And then after seeing a miracle, they naturally fear God. They move from fear of creation and death to fear of God who is greater than both death and creation. It is interesting that Jesus asks them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” It seems that these are two mutually exclusive. You can’t fear or be afraid and have faith, too. Such a simple statement with far reaching results. If we have a faith in an almighty, in control God, we will not need to be afraid of anything.

Fear unto worship

Mt 28:1-10 - Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

What a great story of fear in all dimensions. The guards became like dead men when they saw the angel, but the same angel said, “Do not be afraid!” So they depart with fear and joy only to see Jesus who says, “Do not be afraid!” We see in the passage the awesomeness of God and his angels that well up fear in our bodies, and then we also see the care and love that we are commanded not to fear. Fear God and fear no one. God is to be worshipped above all.

Fear transfigured

Mt 17:1-8 - And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

In this account, the fear of God and the command do not fear are placed side by side. Jesus said, “Have no fear” after the three disciples had experienced the fear of God. In this account we see both the awesomeness of God as well as the tenderness of God. May we live within the tension that is illustrated for us, revering God and his might, but also obeying God’s command to not fear.

The fear that can('t) walk on water

Mt 14:23-33 - And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

This passage so clearly and graphically details both how the fear of things destroys us and the fear of God builds us up. The disciples feared what they thought was a ghost and Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.” Than Peter not only isn’t afraid, but walks on water. But, he sees the wind, and becomes afraid and Jesus rebukes, “Why did you doubt?” And when Jesus got back in the boat, and the wind ceased, the fear of Jesus fell upon the people. This passage shows both the heights we can soar with a proper fear of God and how desperate we can become when we fear anything but God. This should encourage us to no end that if we keep our eye on God, we will by faith be able to conquer things that are impossible, fears that are rational and hearts that are impassable. Our God who is control of everything is also our Father. But, we need to, to by fear, step out of the boat and come to him, keeping our eyes on Him, only. "Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid."

Fear that leads to either sin or worship

Mt 10:29-33 - Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

In that time, sparrows were numberless. Yet, God used them as an illustration that he even in great number, he knows each as individuals. In the same way, even the numbers on our heads are numbered. Therefore, because of this attention to detail, we know we have a God who not only knows us intimately but also considers us valuable. And because He takes care of us, we need not fear, ever. And not only is it an encouragement, but it is also a warning. When we fear someone other than God, we are in essence, denying His power, goodness and sovereignty. When we do that, we are denying God’s existence and power before men. The result of that is his denying us before the Father in Heaven. Fearing anything other than God is a serious sin indeed.

Ps 118:1-4 - Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”

When we fear God, we are saying, “His love endures forever.” We are saying that He is strong, powerful, mighty and worthy to be feared above any problem, confrontation, trial or issue. God is good, he is worthy of being thanked and he is above all, worthy of fear. Fear Him only and you will not only not deny Him, you will say for all to hear that “His Love endures forever.” The world needs that witness.

Fear that brings God glory

Mt 10:17-27 - Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. “So have no fear of them for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

This prophecy of their future suffering is finished with three ‘Do Not Fear’ commands, the first one which is today. The question might be asked what causes fear and Jesus answers that: First, he commands them not to be anxious over what they will say when they are delivered up to the governors and kings. The Spirit will give them the words. Second, don’t be anxious that you will be delivered by your family and that you will be hated because those who endure will be saved. Third, they will persecute you and lastly they will malign you. Not encouraging words by any mean. But, at the end of these prophecies that did come true, are the bedrock of peace and joy, which is “have no fear!” There are two ways to look at it: These things are going to happen, so don’t worry. And when they happen don’t fear. I am in control and this is according to my plan. The world will soon be responsible for the words that I have shared with you. You will be my witnesses and it will involve suffering. But, don’t fear, for I am in control.

Ps 96:4-6 - For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

There is no need to fear persecution or people or governors or kings. God is to be feared above all, because He is the creator who made all, the powerful one who is above all, and the glorious one who is to be honored above all. Fear of man strips him of His glory. The fear of Him honors him in his glory. Even in the worst situation, do not fear, but Fear God alone.

Faith or being afraid? How the right fear changes the end result...

Mt 8:23-27 - And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Where God commands the Israelites to not fear, Jesus asks the question, “Why are you afraid?” The obvious answer would be the winds and the rain and we are going to die. Jesus then does as God did throughout the whole old testament, do a miracle that gave the disciples some perspective about the sovereignty and power of God. The answer to why are they afraid is that they have little faith. We are afraid when we are not in control and someone greater is not in control. We are afraid when what we value is threatened. Therefore, being a afraid is merely an alarm to remind us that we are not in control and we need to have faith that God is in control. We must cry out like the apostles in Lk 17:5 - The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

Ps 33:17-20 - A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

This is a perfect complimentary verse in that it shows how useless man’s help is but also how helpful God’s help when He is our hope and we fear Him only. He will deliver from death and keep us alive in famine. We wait in hope of the Lord and He is our help and our shield. We must trust in Him only as the antidote of being afraid so that God can work in us t accomplish all that He wants through our lives.

God is God in all our fears

Mt 2:19-23 - But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

This is an interesting account of Joseph fearing and God confirming that fear by appearing again in yet another dream and sending him somewhere else. And though this verse does not say necessarily, do not fear, it gives us confidence that in our fears, God can either confirm them or reject them. Obviously, Joseph has been communicated to very clearly over the past few months in regards to this baby Jesus. And so he has to feel that His life really isn’t his own and that their was a divine presence guiding his life for the purpose of the little baby. This is a great example of how we should view the hand of God in our lives. Though God may not speak as clearly as He does to Joseph, we should still have that same sense that God is very much in the middle of all our dealings.

Ps 25:12 - Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

It was Joseph’s fear of God that enabled him to be instructed. When we don’t fear God, either our pride or our fear will control us. When we fear God and God only, we are able to be instructed. And like Joseph, our fears will be confirmed or rejected in light of our perspective of God in that moment. The more we fear God, the less we will fear life because we understand the power and sovereignty of God in any and every situation.

Fear that involves risk

Mt 1:18-25 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

I love Joseph’s obedience here. In what will become a scandalous, embarrassing event in the life of both Joseph and Mary, he obeys God and takes his wife. It cost him his reputation, his pride and control. The thing that God commanded that would sustain him through all of this was “Do Not Fear!” Do not fear what people think of you, do not fear what do to you and do not fear not knowing what will come next. I am in control.

Ps 2:11-12 - Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

I really think this verse describes Joseph. He served the Lord with fear and obeyed him without question. And literally, in his obedience of the Father, he kissed the Son. It is so crazy to think that the one whom he step-fathered is the on who he would take refuge in. May we follow God by fearing only Him that we may kiss the son and fear not the scandalous, reputation-hitting things that our decisions may endure.

The joy of fearing God

Zep 3:12-13 - But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

The prophecy of future peace assumes God’s sovereign rule. IF he can predict future peace by organizing events, he certainly can provide peace in the now. God is in control of all events for all time for His glorious purposes. Though mountains may shake and troubles may come, the doubts and fears that seem to barrage us are powerless to the great and mighty King who rules over everything.

Ps 85:8-9 - Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

God saving us is for His glory. The conduit of this occurring is rightfully fearing Him. He speaks peace to his people but we must not return to folly, the foolishness of fearing and trusting other idols to deliver or bring peace and satisfaction. Thank you Lord for providing for us the joy of being obedient to you.

A story of fear

Jonah 1:5-16 - Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

This is a long passage today but it really captures fear in many different extremes. The sailors feared the waves and the sea. They feared for their lives and called out to their gods to no avail. Jonah was sleeping and it showed that even though he was running away from God, he also was able to sleep knowing that God was in control. It is ironic that Jonah said he feared the Lord when if he truly feared him would have obeyed him. But when the casted lot confirmed the reason for the tempest, Jonah was thrown overboard and the ocean calmed down. The men feared the Lord exceedingly. Story is often a greater teacher, and in this story we see depicted the power of fearing God and nature. God once again shows that He is above all nature, powers and dominions. There is nothing to fear God but God Himself. May our fear lead to true obedience and heart felt worship.

The proper perspective of fear

Am 3:3-8 - “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it? “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?”

The sovereignty and power of the Lord almighty scream through on this page. Though it is difficult to fully understand, nothing happens outside of God’s divine control. And because of that we must fear, not the current events, but the one who is in control of the events, working them through according to His divine plan. We are to fear the lion of Judah and we will not fear the daily events. Praise God for his goodness and His love for us.

Let all the earth Fear the Lord

Joe 2:21-23 - “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things! Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.

This is the first time that God speaks his words of comfort to both land and beasts. And the context shows that it is for the comfort of his people Israel. The early rains leads to a great harvest and it is God who controls it all. They do not need to fear because the Weatherman will take care of them. We are to rejoice because the Lord has done great things. As Romans 8:19-24 writes, “ The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. [20] For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope [21] that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. [22] We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” This verse in Romans clarifies that creation has indeed been subject to frustration and is moaning because of its decay. As God speaks blessing and comfort to the creation, he speaks it to mankind as well. Do not be afraid.

Ps 76:8-12 - From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet— when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land.Selah Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared. He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.

This shows the reverse, the fear that the land should have of its ruler. What God says will be done and the Land will bear the result of the judgment. The lands will see that God is God, the one who is to be feared, by land and by Kings. We can’t forget the importance of fearing God the way that He deserves to be feared.

Fear that witnesses

Da 10:11-19 - And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.” Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Daniel was told twice not to fear in the presence of what appeared to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, and then Michael, the archangel. He was told not to fear, not only the vision of these spiritual beings in al their glory which left him totally useless, but also what was to come in terms of prophecy. When God commands us to not fear, he does so because he knows that fear eliminates peace, strength and courage. These are necessary if we are going to do what God has called us to do. When we do fear, we lose peace, we lose our strength and we lose our courage. When we lose our peace, our minds are not kept in Christ. Like Philippians 4:6-7 says that anxiety causes our hearts and mind to be infiltrated so that Christ is not in charge. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” If we fear, we are not strong and do not have good courage. We need to strength and courage to be able to obey all that God has for us to do. Joshua is a great example of having to be prodded to not fear. Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." If he is not strong and courageous, will not go where God wants him to go. Peace, strength and courage come when we fear nothing and go when we fear something.

Da 1:8-16 - But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Though this passage does not actually quote the fear of God, it shows how fear can change lives. The chief feared the king and thus was afraid to let Daniel do what his convictions demanded. But, Daniel feared the King and was willing to believe that He was able to make him healthy despite the lack of food that he would eat. Because Daniel feared God, the chief now understood the power and strength of God in a new way. It is a great contrast in fears, and a great reminder that fearing God is a necessary witness to a fearing world.