THE COMMAND TO “do not fear” is written over 400 times in Scripture. I heard someone say it was written 365 times for every day of the year. The exact number is inconsequential, that it’s written multiple times should tell us something about a great and mighty God. He desires that His people walk through this life fearless. Here’s the real question, what are you afraid of? If God is for me, who can be against me? If God has my life in His hands and He knows the number of my hairs; what can anyone do to me that He does not allow? Are you afraid to suffer? It’s appointed that those in Christ will suffer with Him. What’s a little suffering compared to eternity?
I have been reading through Numbers and Deuteronomy again and this time through I received something different. The Word of God is so awesome and wonderful. I see something new every time I read it. Moses is speaking to the children of Israel and notice what is recorded (my emphasis), “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God; and you complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where can we go up? OUR BRETHREN HAVE DISCOURAGED OUR HEARTS, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.” ’ “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them.” Deut 1:26-29
Our brethren have discouraged our hearts. So, not only does God command us personally to “fear not”; He tells us that when we operate in fear we discourage the hearts of our brothers and sisters in Christ. This goes back to those 12 spies sent into the promised land. Ten of these men gave a bad report because they saw the giants and were afraid. These ten turned the heart of the masses. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, cried out, “WE ARE WELL ABLE to overcome!” And is that not the cry of the Holy Spirit? That in Christ and through Him we can overcome all things? We can do all that He commands, no matter how difficult or dangerous.
Fear shows that you lack trust in an all powerful and all mighty God. David asked rhetorically, “The Lord is the strength of my life! Whom shall I fear?” The answer of course is no one and no thing. When you operate in fear, you are in double sin— you show a lack of faith in God and discourage the hearts of your brethren. How many pastors and leaders will be in dereliction of duty for operating in fear and not obeying the Lord’s commands to gather, to worship to preach the gospel of repentance and reconciliation without fear of reprisal?
This years events are refining the body and revealing the hearts and minds of those who trust God and those who trust in themselves. Pay attention! Things are going to get worse. ““If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5 Get rid of the fear now. Stop discouraging those of us on the frontline crying out, “We are well able!” If the story of my life is a ran straight into the heat of the glorious battle and lost my life, then I have gained eternity. I’m ok with that. I serve a great big God and in His name:I can leap over any wallI can do all things I am more than a conqueror I do not fear what man can do to meTo die is gainThe battle is the Lord’sI will not fear. #runyourrace
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