The Holy One calls to me this morning. Fear has come calling and been tormenting me through the watches of the night. The world news is providing a very effective backdrop of evidence that evil is alive and well on planet earth. Personal trials close to home and in the lives of loved ones reminds me that the war producing the trial s is everywhere.
As Christians we are told over and over to "not" fear. Philippians 4:4 is one such command, "Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
The Holy One calls and I answer out of a fitful wrestle with the dark lord of fear. I feel like a lone sailor frantically typing out an SOS as waves are about to capsize my boat.
The conscious comfort of His Presence and authority offers a deep relief to my heart and mind. The Holy One reminds me how like the disciples I am during one furious storm on the lake they were crossing as Jesus was asleep in the boat. Matt 8:25 says, "The disciples went and woke Him saying, "Lord, save us!" We are going to drown".
The Spirit speaks to me this morning like Jesus did to His disciples that day, "You of little faith, why are you afraid?" When Holiness puts it that way, the fear and tension melts away and the processing can begin.
"Well", I hesitate as my mind tries to explain my faithless thoughts to the only One who can correct them. But before I pick more words to justify the wretched sin, He gently reminds me of what I already know, "Fear and faith cannot co-habitate. One cancels out the other. The fear you have is sin, not just an emotional response to the threats you hear in your ear."
His words confirm the lessons of late regarding the need for daily repentance and even a humbling foot washing by the Lord to clean off the dust of the fallen world that clings to my feet.
Job was a man who experienced the deepest of trials during a season in the permissive will of God. Satan accused him of being a spoiled child who would curse God if his blessings were taken away. The Lord's confidence in the man was challenged by the enemy of Holiness and Job was put to the test while Satan brought blow after blow of hard adversity against him.
The account of Job holds many important lessons regarding the Sovereignty of God: His permissive will, His boundaries and protection, His control over the adversary, and His ultimate love and relationship with Job, the man.
The Holy One draws me back to this account to make an interesting point regarding fear. As I read the beginning of Job's life of trials, Job 3:25 leaps out as a clue to the rest of his recorded suffering. "What I feared has come upon me, what I dreaded has happened to me."
Could it be that Satan's attack followed a direct line of Job's fears right into his life and being? Could it be that our fears provide the open door of access for the enemy of our soul to enter and bring the trials we experience? If that is so, it is to our great advantage to do as the Lord commands and "fear not".
The enemy of our souls is an ancient foe who is aware of our sin nature, the fall and the fears it brings to the hearts of men. He is the great deceiver so if he can keep us trying in our flesh to overcome fear, or worse yet succumb to it, then evil triumphs.
The Holy One reminds me that not only is fear a powerful emotion, it is also sin. "You cannot get rid of fear just in the facing of it. Fear like any other sin requires repentance." It is important and most interesting to get down to identifying fear as the sin that it is.
I always equate sin with a strong emotion that has a flesh perk at the end, but that is not so with fear. Fear erodes all peace, confidence and assurance of good things coming to pass. Fear leaves me shaking and quaking and waiting for the next shoe to drop. Fear seems to be the one sin that has no flesh appeal and I wonder if that is so, then why do we fail to acknowledge or treat it as sin?
Otherwise know as anxiety, society has alternative ways to beat the cycle of fear bondage rather than take the sin to the Lord for removal. Doctors prescribe drugs, therapists suggest other assorted escape mechanisms, but nothing man can offer really cures the problem.
The Holy One again asks, "Why are you afraid?" I noticed that He did not ask, "What are you afraid of?" The "why?" and not the "what?" is the key. There can be an endless list of "whats?" to the fear issue, but the answer to "why?" is simple: Somewhere in the assessment of the situation I face and wrestle, the storm got the better of me. I failed to remember that the One who formed the clouds, the winds and the rains, is with me in the boat.
As Christians we are told over and over to "not" fear. Philippians 4:4 is one such command, "Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
The Holy One calls and I answer out of a fitful wrestle with the dark lord of fear. I feel like a lone sailor frantically typing out an SOS as waves are about to capsize my boat.
The conscious comfort of His Presence and authority offers a deep relief to my heart and mind. The Holy One reminds me how like the disciples I am during one furious storm on the lake they were crossing as Jesus was asleep in the boat. Matt 8:25 says, "The disciples went and woke Him saying, "Lord, save us!" We are going to drown".
The Spirit speaks to me this morning like Jesus did to His disciples that day, "You of little faith, why are you afraid?" When Holiness puts it that way, the fear and tension melts away and the processing can begin.
"Well", I hesitate as my mind tries to explain my faithless thoughts to the only One who can correct them. But before I pick more words to justify the wretched sin, He gently reminds me of what I already know, "Fear and faith cannot co-habitate. One cancels out the other. The fear you have is sin, not just an emotional response to the threats you hear in your ear."
His words confirm the lessons of late regarding the need for daily repentance and even a humbling foot washing by the Lord to clean off the dust of the fallen world that clings to my feet.
Job was a man who experienced the deepest of trials during a season in the permissive will of God. Satan accused him of being a spoiled child who would curse God if his blessings were taken away. The Lord's confidence in the man was challenged by the enemy of Holiness and Job was put to the test while Satan brought blow after blow of hard adversity against him.
The account of Job holds many important lessons regarding the Sovereignty of God: His permissive will, His boundaries and protection, His control over the adversary, and His ultimate love and relationship with Job, the man.
The Holy One draws me back to this account to make an interesting point regarding fear. As I read the beginning of Job's life of trials, Job 3:25 leaps out as a clue to the rest of his recorded suffering. "What I feared has come upon me, what I dreaded has happened to me."
Could it be that Satan's attack followed a direct line of Job's fears right into his life and being? Could it be that our fears provide the open door of access for the enemy of our soul to enter and bring the trials we experience? If that is so, it is to our great advantage to do as the Lord commands and "fear not".
The enemy of our souls is an ancient foe who is aware of our sin nature, the fall and the fears it brings to the hearts of men. He is the great deceiver so if he can keep us trying in our flesh to overcome fear, or worse yet succumb to it, then evil triumphs.
The Holy One reminds me that not only is fear a powerful emotion, it is also sin. "You cannot get rid of fear just in the facing of it. Fear like any other sin requires repentance." It is important and most interesting to get down to identifying fear as the sin that it is.
I always equate sin with a strong emotion that has a flesh perk at the end, but that is not so with fear. Fear erodes all peace, confidence and assurance of good things coming to pass. Fear leaves me shaking and quaking and waiting for the next shoe to drop. Fear seems to be the one sin that has no flesh appeal and I wonder if that is so, then why do we fail to acknowledge or treat it as sin?
Otherwise know as anxiety, society has alternative ways to beat the cycle of fear bondage rather than take the sin to the Lord for removal. Doctors prescribe drugs, therapists suggest other assorted escape mechanisms, but nothing man can offer really cures the problem.
The Holy One again asks, "Why are you afraid?" I noticed that He did not ask, "What are you afraid of?" The "why?" and not the "what?" is the key. There can be an endless list of "whats?" to the fear issue, but the answer to "why?" is simple: Somewhere in the assessment of the situation I face and wrestle, the storm got the better of me. I failed to remember that the One who formed the clouds, the winds and the rains, is with me in the boat.
The Lord gently repeats His question "Why are you afraid?" But then He goes on to cut through the fear, "For I am always with you". I settle the matter and repent for the sin within. Then I reject the oppresive attack by the enemy of my soul and the assault (lies) by the spirit of fear from outside my being and proclaim Isaiah 41:10 as my promise. The sense and power of His Presence fills the room "Fear not" is the command and clearly I understand He is reason I can obey it.
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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