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Devotional For the Week 25th October 2004

Is fear real to you?

Scriptural reference: 1 John 4:18

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (NIV)

A story goes that one day Death was walking toward a city, and a man stopped Death and asked, “ What are you going to do?” Death said, “I’m going to kill one hundred people” The man said, “That’s horrible!” Death said, “That is the way it is, that’s what I do.”
As the day passed, the man warned everyone he could of Death’s plan. At the end of the day he again met Death. He said, “You said you were going to kill one hundred people and yet seven hundred people died.” Death explained, “I killed only one hundred, worry and fear killed the others.”

Many if not all of us have crossed the path of fear in our lives. This is true for both Christians and non-Christians. Unknowingly we allow our lives to be ruled by fear. We are willing to take a stand as long as there is no threat. That is no threat of being ridiculed, of losing a friend, of being unpopular, of losing the things we most treasure. On the other hand, we are controlled by fear of losing the other gods or mammoths in our lives. god of power, of being popular, or losing our possessions. In the extreme we lose Faith.

Fear comes in many other forms. Fear of revealing our true characters, fear of being exposed in our disobedience, and the fear of punishment in the Judgement Day. However, God is so wonderful He has given us His Holy Spirit as an in-built warning system to guide us from sinful practices; things which are unacceptable, socially and morally wrong. This type of fear (Fear of God) is given us in that day when we were born-again. It stirs us from sins and evil.

What do Believers do with fear?
The originator of fear is our adversary, the devil. Scriptures revealed that he uses lies and deceptions to incite fear aimed at deterring God’s children from walking in obedience. As the fictional story goes, the others died because of worry and fear… not cause by Death. The truth about the story is people fall in their walk of obedience for believing in the lies and deceptions of the adversary. The truth of the matter is we have a God who has overcome the sting of Death. As children of the Most High God, we can stand on this truth and overcome fear by Faith.

We need to understand that fear is a spiritual force and it can be developed and spread if permitted. However, faith in God destroys the power of fear in us.

“Fear is the power source of the kingdom of darkness; Faith is the power source of the kingdom of light.”

Do we have the means and the ability to overcome fear?
The word of God is the source of our strength and is reliable to meet all our needs for all circumstances. It is wise to find out what is God’s counsel for us on this matter. James 1:5. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

• Knowledge of the truth will set us free. Fear feed on half-truth and lies. We do not set ourselves free from fear but truth set us free from fear. John 8:31-32. "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

• Confidence in the truth of God will stir away fear in our heart and give us the rest. Proverbs 3:24-26. “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

• Confessing with our mouth and believing in our heart the promises God have for us. We speak what we believe. We receive what we declare. We nullify the lies in our lives. 2 Tim 1:7. ”For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

• Abide in the perfect love of God and fear cannot reign in our lives. 1 John 4:18. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

We are God’s people and we need to walk daily in God’s counsel in obedience. The Word of God is our best counselor. He never makes any mistake and He is the saviour of our souls.

Isa 35:4 “Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you."

— Tan Lye Whatt

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