A Four Letter "F" Word
Posted by:
Bible Blogger on
July 17, 2007 at
8:50AM EST
I remember a line from Frank Herbert's "Dune" where he wrote: "Fear is
the mind-killer." I often think of this line because the simple truth
it in rings very loudly. When we are afraid of something we usually
have that instinctive "fight or flight" mentality where we stand our
ground and attack like a rabid mongoose hopped up on energy drinks or
we run like a politician asked to give a direct answer.
No
matter which of the two responses we face, we'll end up reacting rather
than thinking about the situation because fear has essentially
paralyzed our minds. We say things we don't realize have been said or
we do something that later we look back and really regret & can't
repair even with all the effort we can muster.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" - Psalm 27:1 (ESV)
Is
there anything on Earth that we should fear? NO! David says it so
clearly in Psalm 27 by asking the rhetorical question regarding in whom
we should fear. There is no one on Earth who can supercede God. Even
if someone were to kill you and take away your physical life here on
Earth God still wins because you'll be in heaven with Him.
I
know it's not an easy thing to face fears of any kind. I know that I
still struggle with an intense fear of heights. (Well, OK..not
heights. Falling from a large height and splattering on the ground
below scares me.) Is it something I should fear? No. However, the
verse was talking about more than just physical fears...it applies to
fears in a mental way like not being sure where you will find a job or
where you will obtain your next meal. No matter the situation, you
need to trust in the Lord.
There's only one person you need to fear.
"Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity." - Proverbs 28:14 (ESV)
Fear
the Lord...and that's not meaning trembling in fear where you can't
move or can't do anything rather a healthy respect for His incredible
power, love and mercy. Knowing that He can do anything and that you
cannot do anything to make God move, judge or rebuke.
