“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues him.” (Psalm 34:4-7 CSB)
There are two kinds of fear, both of them emotional responses. One kind of fear is preventive in nature, designed to protect, while the other is more proactive in nature, resulting in blessing.
The first kind of fear deals with potential loss and is a response to everything from insecurity to life-threats. It varies in intensity and strength depending on the cause. Some people, for example, are mildly uncomfortable in high places, while some are deathly afraid of them. Such fears can serve to prevent injury, but they can also paralyze. Not all fears are founded in reality but originate in our perceptions, and that is when they tend to paralyze. Even when a fear is based on genuine threat, it can still paralyze us and keep us from acting in trust toward the Lord.
The second kind of fear is a response to the awesome power and presence of the Almighty God. This “fear” of God is not so much the fear of loss but is more of a sense of worshipful submission to absolute power and holiness that emanates from our Heavenly Father.
Our need is to move away from the fear that terrorizes and paralyzes and toward the “fear” that actually delivers us from those fears. We do this very simply by first turning to the Lord, by going to Him in faith, by crying out to Him. We seek His deliverance from fear and from its cause. And secondly, we open our eyes to a spiritual truth, that “the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear” the Lord. Our genuine humility before God and our worship of Him leads us to understand that God will take care of us in any situation we face. Thus, it is to worship that we go.
Father, Teach us the simplicity and the impact of this truth, that Your presence and Your grace are all we really need to face that which produces fear in us. Amen.
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1 comment:
Thanks Charles,
Being in HK right now has brought back up the fear of inclosure. I bought me a necklace with the charater Grace on it to hang onto and remind me to do exactly what you said.
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