Fear

February 26

Leviticus 13-14

Psalm 27:1-6

Proverbs 6:20-22

Mark 4:21-41

Fear

“Yahweh is my light and my salvation;  Whom shall I fear?  Yahweh is the strong defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?  When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies they stumbled and fell.  Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in this I trust.  One thing I have asked from Yahweh, that I shall seek; that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Yahweh and to inquire in His temple.  For in the day of calamity He will conceal me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.  And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, I will offer in His tent sacrifices with loud shouts of joy;  I will sing, and I will sing praises to Yahweh.” Psalm 27:1-6 LSB

“Fear not!” is the most repeated command in the Bible. The Old and New Testaments are filled with verses about fear and anxiety.  We live in a genuinely scary world.  There were legitimate fears in Biblical times and there are real reasons to be afraid today.  The Bible recounts many instances of wars, evil people who hurt the innocent, plagues, illnesses, famine, demonic forces, etc.  There were also emotional fears of failure, abandonment, lack of power, rejection, isolation, and many more.  All of those fears are just as real today.  On a large scale today we fear climate change, the next pandemic, world war, terrorist attacks, mass shootings, and a bad economy.  On a more personal level we are worried about cancer or other terrible illnesses, the sudden death of a loved one, a job loss, not being able to meet our monthly financial obligations, rejection by a friend or family member, the addiction of a loved one, and any other countless fears that are lingering just below the surface of our minds at any given time.  It doesn’t take much for our minds to spiral down the dark hole of fear and dread that leaves us unable to catch our breath.  Fear is a part of being human.  It always has been and always will be part of this life on earth.  We live in a fallen world where bad things happen.

            When the Bible tells us not to be afraid it isn’t because God is promising that bad things will never happen.  Actually there are numerous scriptures where we are told that in this world we will have trouble and we should expect life to be difficult.  The Bible never promises a life filled with sunshine and roses.  That is not reality and anyone that suggests that is lying to you.  The message God is conveying to His people over and over when He tells us not to be afraid is that we can trust Him to take care of us.  We can be assured that there is a divine purpose to life, even if we don’t understand or feel it.  Whatever happens to us God will walk through it with us.  He doesn’t promise to take us around tragedy or over it, but through it.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  Anything that He allows to touch us will work in our lives to grow, refine, mold and shape us into the image of His Son and He will bring us out on the other side stronger.  Every reason for fear is an opportunity for faith.  Don’t give up!  Don’t despair! Do not Fear!  God is near!