BE NOT OVERCOME WITH FEAR
Anita Clark – PastorGrace Chapel, Carbondale, Kansas
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.” Psalms 27:1 The word “salvation” speaks of “liberty, safety, and deliverance.” These are some of the blessings we have as we trust in the Lord our God for everything. He has a plan for our lives and He is working to fulfill all of His divine will for us. Often we may fear Satan, who is always trying to defeat God’s children. The word “fear” (yaw-rey) means “dread or frighten.” Since we are just little weak humans, Satan will try our faith in our God. Isaiah 59:19 gives us a precious promise, “...When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” The word “standard” written in Hebrew means “a high place.”
In Psalm 23:4 David said “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” The word “valley” in Hebrew means “a gorge from its lofty sides, hence narrow.” When David says, “evil” this word means “dread, misery, trouble, frightened.” Why did David “not fear”? Because God was “with him: and Thy rod and staff they comfort me.”
Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed: for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” God will strengthen us physically or mentally and establish, or fortify, increase and make us strong. (Strong’s Concordance). Psalms 98:1, declares “O sing unto the LORD a new song, for He hath done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm hath gotten Him the victory.” Read Isaiah 41:3 which says, “For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee.” This is what He does for us. How precious!
In II Timothy 1:7, Apostle Paul admonished Timothy, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and a sound mind.” Again thinking of Isaiah 59:19 -Satan is the instigator of “the Spirit of fear.” The word “fear” in this place speaks of “timidity.” In Hebrews 2:9, we read “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Vs. 14-15) “Forasmuch as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself took part of the same that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. And deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” The word “fear” speaks of “alarm, fright and terror.” This is exactly what the old devil tries to do to the believers, but we are victors in Christ Jesus.
When Jesus was here on earth He calmed the waves of the stormy sea. He said, “Be not afraid” to His disciples who were so terrorized. I John 4:16 & 18 it states, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love and He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” Those who fear are not “perfect in love.” The word “perfect” means in the Greek -”complete, consecrated, fulfilled or finished.” The perfection of the love of God in our life, speaks of “to end, to finish by completing what was intended, to perfect, to bring or carry to the utmost point or degree.” This is what the Lord wants in our lives and hearts. This perfection shows our love for Christ. We can have total confidence that we are kept in the precious hands of God. The Smyrna church in Revelation 2:10 were admonished to “be faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life.” In II Timothy 4:5-8, Apostle Paul tells us He is ready to be offered. He overcame and was beheaded for Christ. This says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will give me on that day, and not to me only but to all those who love His appearing.” Another precious promise is Revelation 3:21, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and set down with my Father in His throne.”
Our new life, Christ in us, causes us to recognize when we aren’t laying hold of God’s mercy and grace, which helps us to overcome all fear.
