The first verse from today’s Daily Light: “I will not fear. What can man do to me.” (Heb.13:6)
Good, good words, Father.
And don’t we all need reminding?
Just yesterday we discussed fear in Bible study. But as I pondered the concept of fear, one picture kept bubbling to mind--Jesus, sound asleep while on a boat with His disciples, though they are in the midst of a raging storm. Apparently storms in that area can sweep in suddenly, with terrifying ferocity, making the Sea of Galilee a place of danger and death.
Can you imagine it? The disciples, eyes bulging in terror, were probably frantically bailing out water or yelling to one another over the roaring of the wind to yank in the sails. Finally, assuming they were all about to die, they rouse Jesus. In desperation, they shout: “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mk 4:38)
Isn’t that so often our response when the storms of life crash upon us? When loved ones get sick. When longings go unfulfilled. When we’re waiting and waiting on something. When life seems out of control and fear stalks our hearts, our first faithfulness response can often be, “Lord do You see? Don’t You care? You’ve obviously forgotten all about me or You wouldn’t have allowed this storm!”
But that’s a response based on feelings rather than on faith. That’s our natural human inclination based upon what we see around us rather than based upon the Savior Who is with us. Because if Jesus is in your rocking boat, you can have rest even in the midst of the fiercest storm.
What was Jesus’ response to His terrified disciples? He calmly speaks a word, and the storm ceases. Immediately. Think of those gigantic, ship-eating waves...vanished with a word...and replaced with a glassy sea all around the shocked and awed disciples. Imagine the silence as the sound of crashing waves and raging wind is gone--in a moment. It’s totally quiet, still, serene.
Do you recall what Jesus said to them then? “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mk4:40) And Mark tells us the disciples “were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’” (Mk 4:41)
There’s that word: “fear.” But this wasn’t a fear of the storm. No, the disciples’ fear of the circumstances had properly been displaced by a reverential fear and awe of the Messiah who stood before them. When godly fear replaces our worldly fears, then the storms of life lose their power to strip us of our rest in God. We can enjoy His perfect rest--His joy, peace, hope, and power--whether the seas around us are glassy and calm or crazy and crashing.
But so often that’s our problem--we fear...but our fear has the wrong object. The Bible constantly reiterates the command to fear God--meaning to have a healthy awe, honor, and respect for Him. The Psalmist tells us “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” (Ps.111:10), and Prov.14:26 instructs us “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence; and His children shall have a place of refuge.” And according to Psalm 112, we’re greatly blessed when we fear the Lord and delight in His commands.
It’s the healthy fear of God that keeps us motivated to stay on the path of obedience...which is always ultimately the path of blessing.
Yep, no doubt about it--we’re to fear the Lord...but tragically, we’ve misplaced the object of our fear. Rather than fearing God, we fear man. We seek to please man...because we fear the world’s disapproval. Or we fear what man can do to us.
And fear has a whole host of ugly relatives that love to rush in and camp out in our hearts, stripping us of the peace and joy God longs for us to enjoy. There’s fear of disease, failure, accident, loneliness, financial disaster, dependency, death and on and on.
One fear will always displace the other--we either fear God, or we fear man or circumstances or sickness...or you name it. If we fear God, all other potential fears will diminish, because we see them in their proper perspective. But, boy, if we fear man, we’ll find ourselves consumed with worry, stress, insecurity, and doubt...that’s no way to live.
And fear can paralyze. Rob us of the abundant, full life Jesus died to give us. Yes, His death on the cross gave us the greatest possible gift--forgiveness from our sins and eternal life. But His death and resurrection also assures of His presence with us, for us, within us...and wherever Jesus is, there’s Life with a capital “L”...full, free, fruitful.
When we fear anything or anyone other than God, we’re not only misplacing our fear, but we’re misplacing our hope.
“In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace; When fears are stilled, when strivings ceased. My comforter, my all in all. Here in the love of Christ I stand.”
That’s what a healthy proper fear will do for you...when we replace our fear of man or circumstances with a fear of God. We can rest assured that Jesus will either still the storm raging about us...or He will still us right in the teeth of the storm. Either way, we win. Either way, we are secure in Him.
But let me ask one more questions. Were the disciples just as safe and secure in that boat before Jesus stilled the storm? Absolutely! The disciples’ complete safety and rest depended not upon the prevention of the storm but upon the presence of the Savior.
We don’t enjoy God’s supernatural peace, joy, and hope as a result of favorable circumstances but in spite of them. That’s the point--Jesus can and does give us His supernatural rest, peace, and joy even in the midst of the hardest of situations, but we have to actively and continually choose to trust and depend upon God.
We have to watch what we are fearing!
We have to choose to fear God--and not man...or our circumstances. We have to choose to trust that God’s ways and plans are always ultimately for our greater good and His greater glory...in the big storms and the little annoyances of life.
If Jesus is in our rocking boat, we’re good. No matter what. Oh might we fear, adore, and worship Him and not anyone or anything else. He is worthy.
To God be the glory.
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