For I Know The Thoughts That I Think Toward You Saith The Lord Thoughts Of Peace And Not Of Evil To Give You An Expected End Jeremiah 2: 11 Kjv
Its a natural for a human to feel scared or nervous for the future. But if we follow God, we will find peace. God will fulfill every promise in the plans He has for us. It may seem that life is troubling and you will hit many obstacles along the way, but God promises that you will prosper from any situation. He may not remove the difficulty right away, but He is there to help you overcome it. Fear is natural, but no matter how or what you are feeling no matter what your heart is telling you or what storms you are facing, know that the word of God says that He is good. God knows all, sees all, and does all. God would never allow us to endure more than we can handle, and He will never put you in harms way. He will guide you to the path that He knows is good for you, for the whole of your life. God is the same today, tomorrow, and forever.
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Why Is It Important To Fear God
If you study the Bible, there is no mistaking the repeated commands to fear God. Wise King Solomon put it this way in explaining his reason for writing the book of Proverbs: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge .
Why? Consider these words of the psalmist: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever .
In Psalm 34 King David also tells us about learning the fear of the Lord: Come, you children, listen to me I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it .
A healthy fear of God includes the fear of the consequences of disobedience. There may be times of temptation or trial when we may forget some of the better reasons for obeying God, and that is when we really need to think of the consequences .
Reverence of God helps us to take Him and His beneficial laws seriously. Being in harmony with the spiritual laws that govern the universe has astounding benefits.
This is what Hebrews 10:26-31 tells us: For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Hopeful Bible Verses About Fear
“You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.”
Fear can creep up on us when we least expect it. Sure, theres fear we can kind of expect when we subject ourselves to that yearly walk through one of the most haunted places in America on Halloween or sit down with some popcorn to watch a scary movie. But where do we turn with the other, more significant fears? Things like watching a loved one go through cancer treatment, or the potential of losing a job, having a miscarriage, or getting into a car accident. Unfortunately, there isnt a limit to what our brains can concoct that is potentially fearful, some of it legitimate and some of it irrational. Either way, we can find hope and an anchor in the storm that is our fear in Jesus because he has a lot to say about fear in scripture. Fear not is a common reminder in the Word, because we are often forgetful and we can try to imagine the future before it has even happenedleading to a lot of fear and anxiety. Jesus reminds us that we can trust God as our good Father. He will fight for us. He will cover us and protect us. He will calm the storms in our minds and hearts. All he asks is that we turn our eyes from our fears to Him.
As you’re seeking comfort from your fear, also look toward Bible verses about anxiety, Bible verses about stress, and Bible verses about courage.
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?
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Elishas Servant Feared Because He Didnt Know What Elisha Knew
In The Bible, there are few examples of a lack of knowledge causing fear. One example is when the king of Aram was at war with Israel. One night the king ordered men to go capture Elisha the prophet. The Bible then says When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. Oh no, my lord! What shall we do? the servant asked . Elishas servant was afraid because he didnt know what to do.
On the other hand, Elisha, who was not fearful told his servant dont be afraidThose who are with us are more than those who are with them . Then after Elisha prayed, the Lord opened the servants eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha . Elisha knew something his servant didnt know and that made his servant fearful but Elisha not.
Esther: The Courage To Take A Big Risk
Esther risked her life to persuade her husband, King Xerxes, to foil the plans of Haman to annihilate the Jews in their country. She was motivated by the faith, taught by her uncle Mordecai, that she would be fulfilling the call to save Gods people through her.
Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.
Esther 4:16 ESV
According to this passage, Esther prayed and fasted to put her trust in God to give her courage to plead with King Xerxes to protect her people. Her faithful sacrifice paved the way for the Jews in her country to stand up against attacks on them and fight back and protect one another. God brought about a great victory for them that day.
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On Easter Sunday Morning At The Empty Tomb:
- Matthew 28:4-5 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. / But the angel said to the women, Do not be afraid I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
- Matthew 28:8, 10 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. // Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee there they will see me.
What Does The Bible Say About Fear
What many dont realize is fear can take on multiple personalities, be in different areas of our livelihood, and cause us to accept certain behaviors or beliefs without realizing we are doing it. Fear is an unpleasant emotion or anxious concern formed from our anticipation or awareness of danger. There is also another viewpoint of fear attributed to God that many may not associate as fear, and it is a fear of God that is inspired by reverence or awe of Him, His power, and His love. We will examine both perspectives toward fear through how it is discussed in Gods Word and ways we can have a healthy fear of God without the unnecessary fears from this world.
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Godly Fear And Earthly Fear
Bible stories about fear abound. However, throughout the Bible, only two types of fear can be found. They are 1. Fear of earthly troubles and, 2. Fear of the Lord. When we fear the Lord, we reverence Him and show that we love Him. Proverbs 1:7 perfectly depicts this: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Meanwhile, in the bible, God repeats in different forms do not be afraid or fear not. Isnt that contradictory?
Well, that isnt a contradiction at all. And the reason is that fear, in itself, does not displease the Lord. It is how we react to it and the motivations behind our fear that gets God. It must be clear however that it is not Gods will for His children to be afraid.
The command, do not be afraid also depends on the context in which it is given. It is good for our well-being to be obedient and fear the Lord. The earthly fear, however, is unhealthy, consuming, and paralyzing. But God promises to banish it and replaces it with the godly fear.
The earthly fear or the spirit of fear, as some call it, is foolish. Godly fear or ,fearing God, is the beginning of wisdom. When the earthly fear depreciates, the godly fear empowers. And when the earthly fear brings death, the fear of the Lord offers life.
These Things I Have Spoken Unto You That In Me Ye Might Have Peace In The World Ye Shall Have Tribulations: But Be Of Good Cheer I Have Overcome The World John 1: 33 Kjv
Gods word does not say that we wont face trials, tribulations, or fear if we follow Jesus. We will endure both times of distress and times of peace, and we are guaranteed to face some challenges.
But Jesus died for us and He promised us that we can take His yoke, and He shall give us rest . God will shield us in those scary moments, and He will bring us the peace that was promised. If we trust fully in Him, we will not be disappointed. We can overcome our fears knowing that Jesus suffered significantly through the evilness of man so that we can walk in perfect peace and purpose.
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Fear In Light Of The Bible
The term fear not is stated in the Bible 365 times, which, ironically, is how many days are in a year. Some recognized Scripture verses that contain fear not include Isaiah 41:10 Joshua 1:9 and 2 Timothy 1:7 . What these verses mention, as well as several others throughout the Bible, is Gods viewpoint of His creations fear of the unknown or fears heightened by harmful memories of the past. This would be considered by God as unhealthy or toxic fears because they represent mans distrust of God to take care of their every need and believing He doesnt have good plans ahead for them.
The other type of fear, fear of God, is a two-fold understanding of fear: One being fear of God in regards to His love and powerthat He can make any dream become a reality and has unlimited peace and security to freely give. The second form of this type of fear is our fear of Gods wrath and disappointment when we turn against Him or refuse to serve Him and others. When one realizes the first type of fear has gripped his/her heart, the hope is that the person will reject the comforts of the fear and run to the Father, seeking His wisdom to combat whatever triggered the fear, as stated in Proverbs 9:10: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. This will then lead to the other type of fear, fear of God, which centers on the wisdom of God and understanding of His plan for us.
Living Behind The Veil
I’m often asked what I wear in Afghanistan and what it’s like to wear a veil. It’s freedom. Freedom to have a bad hair day, freedom to arrange my chadar to conceal the curve of my breasts and backside, freedom to not be an expatriate for a little while. It means freedom to hide even on the street from the Afghan men’s eyes which seem to strip me naked. When I relax my shoulders and walk less purposefully, less confidently, my eyes downcast and covered by sunglasses, I pass for an Afghan woman. I hear the men whisper in Dari, “Is she a foreigner or local woman?” I chuckle but am silent. On the street, I’m also a free target….freely exposed to groping, sexual innuendos whispered to me as a man bicycles by, free to have stones thrown at me, freely seen as no one’s wife, daughter, sister, mother, friend, or boss. I step inside my gate, and remove my chapan and chadar. Now I’m someone’s boss, motherhood returns to me as little steps run to greet me, and I receive a kiss from my adoring husband. Now I’m free to his loving and gentle eyes which know and enjoy my curves, free to once again be under the protective umbrella of being a wife, mother, friend, colleague, boss, niece, sister, daughter, woman.
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David: The Courage To Face Impossible Situations
The book of 1 Samuel chronicles the epic power struggle between the Israelites and their chief enemy at the time, the Philistines. Though King Saul and the Israelite soldiers were dismayed by the daily threats of their enemys giant, David took courage to fight Goliath. He was motivated by his disdain for Goliaths defiance against God and his people.
And David said to Saul, Let no mans heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth. And David said, The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the LORD be with you!
1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37 ESV
David had courage because of the countless times that God protected him from danger in his past. He had steadfast confidence that God would deliver him against opposition. David acted on faith to fight Goliath with a slingshot, and God gave him victory. As a result, the whole army fought at his side and, with Gods help, won a great battle that day.
Letters Attributed To Paul :
- Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba! Father!
- Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval
- 1 Corinthians 16:10 If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord just as I am
- Philippians 1:14 and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear.
- Philippians 1:28 are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.
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How Does Love Cast Out Fear
The reverential fear of the Lord is designed to help us grow to become more like Godto grow in love. And this growth removes any need to be terrified of Gods judgment. As the apostle John put it:
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love .
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature by Arndt and Gingrich gives an excellent explanation of the use of phobos in verse 18. In the specific context of the verse, the meaning is slavish fear which is not to characterize the Christians relation to God.
The same shade of meaning is applied to the word fear in Romans 8:15, For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.
Though we are to voluntarily yield ourselves as bond servants or slaves to God, He is not an abusive, cruel slave driver who terrorizes and torments us, which is the point of this verse.
Some misunderstand and think that love casts out not only fear but law. However, John explains that Gods laws actually define Gods love:
God wants His laws written on our hearts. For example, even if we had no fear of being caught, we should choose to never steal from othersbecause we love them and God.