I Will Fear No Evil!!

Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

"4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."

This Psalm of David shows God as a caring shepherd, one that can be depended on for guidance and protection. David found that he had all that he needed with God as his Shepherd. He was well aware of the constant need for protection and guidance that sheep need. He was a shepherd himself, for he kept his father’s sheep. He was fully aware of how timid and afraid sheep were and need the constant watchful eye of a loving shepherd for their survival. He spent many days and nights watching and tending to a herd of sheep. 

 

We are the sheep of God and He is the Great Shepherd. We need His constant love, guidance, and protection to be able to walk through life. There are times when we may feel as if we are going through a dark valley and cannot see the light of day. We are overcome with trials, grief, burdens, disappointments, and fear that will not let us move forward. Life seems overwhelming or the task ahead seems unattainable. And sometimes even death hovers over us or a loved one and we are afraid of what will happen to them or us without them.  

 

But David finds hope in the fact that with God as His Shepherd, he could even make it through dark valleys, low places, trouble, and not be afraid. How? Because the Great Shepherd knew what he needed and supplied all that he needed. He took him to the best pastures and the still waters. He was restored and at rest.  

 

Sheep are easily frightened and need the reassurance of their shepherd to calm down. God will give us peace that surpasses all understanding. There is no problem that is too big for God to handle. Even in the midst of the darkest of troubles and the strongest storms, God can speak peace to the wind and bring light. He is the light of the world. 

 

The shepherd always surveys the sheep to make sure they are alright. He looks out for them and over them. He takes care of all of their needs – food, water, a place to rest, safe passage over the terrain, protection from the wolves or enemies. He protects the sheep from other sheep that would cause harm to the flock.  

 

Because sheep are timid, they will not lie down until they are free of fear or friction with other sheep. They can be easily tormented by flies and parasites and will not rest. They also will not lie down if they are hungry. The shepherd must make sure all these needs are met so that the sheep will not be afraid. The presence of the shepherd in the field will quiet and calm down the sheep. God’s presence will give us peace as well. When you come to Him and get into His presence through prayer, worship, or meditation, He will calm down your fears. He promised to be with us and not forsake us.

  

As we develop a closer relationship with God, we embrace how much He loves us. We come to understand this scripture, “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31   God is for us and will fight on our behalf. 

 

Shepherds would take sheep on distant ranges and often had to go up steep mountains. The shepherd would not take them where they had not traveled before. The shepherd walked with and talked to the sheep as they passed on a small road on their journeys. To look down into the valley could cause a sheep to lose their footing and fall to sudden death in the valley. The shepherd was with them encouraging them to move forward and that he was with them. 

 

If you belong to God, God is with you. Let me say that again, God is with you. God will take care of you, provide for you, protect you and lead you safely to where He is calling you to go. We are living for Him and have that blessed hope that we will be with Him when we leave this earth. Even if you slip, God is right there to catch you. His rod and staff are made to protect you and correct or discipline wayward sheep. He will keep us in line if we yield to the Spirit of God. 

 

He will keep us safe from the hand of the enemy. Even if God allows trials and tests to come, He will be with you even in your darkest times. Hebrews 13:5b says, “for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”

 

As I close this month, I want you to know that fear is a trick and scheme of the enemy. It does not come from God but from the enemy. We do not have to bow to fear or allow it to paralyze us. We do need the help of the Holy Spirit to be able to overcome the plots and schemes of the adversary but we can and will. Just remember Is. 41:10, God says to Isaiah and the children of Israel and to us today. ““Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Be determined to say daily, I will not fear!!

 No Fear!

1 John 4: 16b – 18

“God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. ¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

¹⁸ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. ¹⁹ We love each other^[b] because he loved us first.

Well I guess you figured it out, March is the month to talk about fear.  It can be explained as false evidence appearing real, being afraid, or a darkness that the enemy tries to block out the light of God.  It can be from things that we perceive may happen but may not or things that are happening and we don’t know what to do or how to move forward.  It hinders us, stops us, and can even paralyze you if you allow it. 

It comes from our enemy, Satan.  He tries to convince us of the opposite of what God said about us or promised us.  1 John 4 talks about God’s love for us.  God loved us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. He knew no sin, but died for us.  Why? So that we could become His children and know His love. 

GOD IS LOVE!!  It is who God is, not what He does. When we realize how much He loves us, we can be confident in Him.  We do not have to be afraid or filled with fear about anything.  God is greater than any fear, and is well aware that we will experience fear.  He said, fear not, many times in the scriptures.  He is aware of all the things that we could be afraid of or that the enemy will try to make us afraid of.

God created us with purpose and gifts and sometimes we may feel that we are not enough, know enough, or can do whatever it is that God is calling us to do. We feel afraid or experience fear.  We don’t want to move forward or don’t know how to overcome our feelings.  That is why we need to study God’s Word because there are so many examples of how much He loves His people and the promises that He has for us.  He is greater than anyone and anything.  We can tell fear to go because it didn’t come from God. We are binding it and casting it out of our lives.  We can use God’s Word to speak to that spirit of fear.  The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” NKJV

Fear does not come from God and we have the authority to bind it and cast it out.  God has given us the power over all the power of the enemy. (Luke 10:19) We have to use God’s Word against the enemy and speak it over our lives daily.  You have to continue to speak God’s Word when you feel fear or when God points out why you are doing something or not doing something.

As we grow to understand and embrace the love of God, we realize that we can be confident in Him.  He promised that He will return for us and all will stand before Him in the day of judgment.  He gave His life so that we could be saved.  We can look forward to spending eternity with Him in heaven.  We have a blessed hope. 

But if we do not embrace His love or come to know about His love, we will be afraid and tormented by fear.  We may be trying to earn His love or afraid that He is mad at us.  When you feel that way, you have not experienced God’s perfect love.  The more I realize how much God loves me, the less I am afraid.

When children know that you love them, they will jump off something high into your arms.  They are not afraid because they know that you love them and they trust that you will not let them fall.  Why is it that we don’t trust our loving Father the same way?  Is it because people have failed us or said they loved us and really didn’t?

We live in a fallen world and the word love is so watered down.  God’s love is unfathomable. Unfathomable means incapable of being fully explored or understood. We will never fully grasp the extent of God’s love while we are here on earth, we only know in part.  But when we meet Him face-to-face, we will know Him fully and understand His great love for us.  As we grow in Him, He will reveal Himself to us and we will gain a greater understanding of how much He truly loves us.  And when that happens, fear has lost its grip and we can say, No fear!

 

 

                       Whom Shall I Fear?

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?   Psalms 27:1-2

Fear means to be afraid and being afraid means to be filled with fear. Fear also means dread – to feel extreme reluctance to meet or to face. Fear often casts a shadow or darkness over one’s life. It can entrap you and cause one not to be able to see clearly, make wise decisions, or move ahead.  You feel as if you are in the dark.  You often do not know what the truth is and cannot decipher reality from what is not real.

Fear stands between you and the light that the Lord wants to shine on your life.  He is the Light of the World. He is the truth.  Fear casts a shadow because it is between you and the truth of God’s Word.

I was driving down the street this evening and I was going down a street that was lined with trees whose branches hung over the street. They met in the middle of the road and even though the sun was shining, the street was dark and covered with a shadow. The trees were between the sun and the road.  As I kept driving and there were breaks in the branches, I could see the light breaking through and no shadow.  I was able to see the sunlight.  As I passed all of the trees, the sun was shining brightly on the other side, no shadow, no blockage of light. The sun was able to shine brightly on me and my car.  It was beautiful. Darkness was dispelled, I was fully in the light.

Fear is that darkness that is sent by the enemy to cause a shadow and block out the light or the truth of God.  We must read, study, and speak God’s Word over our lives.  We must remember it so that when fear comes – darkness, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear that we won’t or can’t succeed, lies of the enemy - we can speak the truth of the Lord, our Light and dispel the darkness.  The Lord is our light, the truth, enlightenment, and He will save us.

Fear is mentioned so often in the Bible because God knows that the enemy, Satan, will use this tactic against us.  But the Lord encourages us in Luke 10:19, “¹⁹ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Salvation means deliverance from danger, destruction, or difficulty; deliverance from the power and effects of sin.  Since the Lord is our salvation, we will be delivered.  We just have to stand on His Word, which is light and truth.  He will drive out the darkness and the fear.  He alone can, has, and will save you.  He is your strength and will give you strength. You do not have to be afraid. 

Someone may be saying that is easier said than done.  I get it; I was there.  I was so tormented by fear until I wanted to go to sleep and couldn’t seem to shut off my thoughts or get two good thoughts together.  There were times when I think I just passed out. I suffered great loss when my father passed. I wasn’t taking care of my own mental health, trying to take care of so many things, working a job that was mentally draining, and not staying on the wall in prayer like I needed to.  The enemy cast a great darkness and if it wasn’t for the Lord saving me through His Word and the prayers of those He placed in my life to diligently pray for me, I wouldn’t be standing in the light of His love, His Word, or alive.  God saved me, and He will save you too.

We do not have to fear; the Lord is our light and our salvation. You don't have to be afraid. And even if you feel fear, you can tell it that it has no right to stay. 

 

FEAR NOT!

Isaiah 41:10

“Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Last week, we talked about fear. Fear being a painful apprehension of some impending evil; to be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.  We also defined it as False Evidence Appearing Real.  The enemy often tries to or convinces us that something is real when it really isn’t.  We believe the lies of the enemy, Satan. We are apprehensive about something that has not happened or manifested yet.  Sometimes it is not real, it is fake.

But what happens when something is real?  When we are enduring something that causes us to be apprehensive and not sure of the outcome?

In Isaiah, God chose Israel to be His people.  He didn’t have to choose them and they didn’t merit His love and compassion.  He chose them because He loved them and to represent Him to all the other nations of the world.  But they were often disobedient and had to suffer the consequences of their sins.  They had to go into captivity several times due to disobedience but He reminded them that He would be with them, strengthen them, and help them.

God was reassuring them that they were descendants of His friend, Abraham.  He was their God in spite of their actions. He didn’t throw them away even though they had to endure the punishment. He was not going to let go of them. Indeed, He was going to hold on to them, give them strength and help.

This is still true today.  If you are saved and know Jesus as your Savior, you were chosen by God.  God does not leave you or forsake you.  Hebrews 13:5 says “⁵ Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”  He is faithful and true to His Word.

I know sometimes you may feel like you are walking through life alone and it causes you to be afraid. Sometimes circumstances are hard and you wonder if you can make it through the things that seem dangerous, painful, or threatening.  You may feel as if no one understands or cares.  But that is far from true, God knows and He truly cares. He does not want you to fear or be afraid.  He is with you. You are not alone.

Fear comes when you are uncertain about an outcome or what comes next.  You may feel like you do not know what to do or where to turn. God wants you to know that He is with you, will strengthen you, and help you.  He has you in His hands.

I love the Amplified version of Hebrew 13:5 look at how it reads. “

^“5 Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” ⁶ So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say,

“The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”

 

Be content with what you have because God is with you.  He will never leave or desert you.  He will support you and not leave you helpless.  He is not letting you go.  He is your Helper.  He will give you victory over sin and the enemy.  You do not have to be afraid or fear!

 

Fear Not!

 

FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real

 

2 Timothy 1: 5-7:

“⁵ I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. ⁶ This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Paul is writing to Timothy after they parted from each other.  Paul talks about the tears that they shed when they last were together and how he longed to see Timothy again.  He reminds Timothy of his genuine faith that first filled his grandmother and mother.  Timothy had a heritage of women of faith, Lois and Eunice. 

Paul admonished Timothy to “stir up” the gifts that God had given to him when he laid hands on him.  He wanted him to endure and to preserve even though they were not together.  He was encouraging him not to be ashamed of his testimony of Jesus Christ.

He wanted Timothy to remember that God didn’t give him a spirit of fear and timidity. Timidity means a lack of courage or confidence.  God had given to Timothy power, love, and sound mind.  He already the ability to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, love which is the fruit of the Spirit, and a sound (confident) mind.  He did not have to be afraid and neither do we. 

Why was Timothy afraid though?  He was meeting opposition as a leader. He was young and people were trying to intimidate him because of his youth.  Timothy was Paul’s protégé and the Pastor at the church in Ephesus. Paul was reminding him that God – who is all powerful, had given him access by the Holy Spirit to His power.  He did not have to walk or live in fear because God was with him. Paul encouraged him to proclaim the gospel with boldness.

And so it is today, you and I do not have to live or walk in fear. If you have the power of the Holy Spirit within you, you have access to the same power that rose Jesus from the dead.  We have the same promise of power, love, and a sound mind.  We too can be courageous, love one another, and be confident in Jesus.  We must rely on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us as we live by the spirit. 

Fear is to feel a painful apprehension of some impending evil; to be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.  The enemy will try to make us afraid of what will happen if we move forward in what God has called us to do. We must not allow fear – false evidence that appears to be real- to stop us from moving forward.

Be brave, be encouraged.  God is with you and He will take care of you.  Don’t let the enemy scare you; you have not been given the spirit of fear but power, love, and a sound mind.

God bless you.