Fear Not!

13 Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD. . . 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:13b-14 (KJV)

There has been much hype lately about the coronavirus. People are in hysterics about something they can actually do something to prevent. Building immunity systems, proper hygiene, and careful interaction with others are all easy ways to protect yourself.

However, do you realize that even when there is nothing you can do to protect yourself or your family that you still have no need to fear?

The Israelites were in a position where there was absolutely nothing they could do. They had rock mountains on two sides of them, the Red Sea on a third, and the Egyptian army closing in on the fourth-they had no way of escape. Or, that is how they felt anyway.

Moses tells them to relax and to not fear. God was fighting for them. God made a way where they didn't see a way-He opened the Red Sea for them to walk across! Not only could they now escape their enemy, but God destroyed the enemy when He closed the sea back up after the Israelites were safely across!

We can do the same. We don't have to live in fear. We just need to be still and trust God is in control (which He is!)_ and see His deliverance from the craziness around us. This doesn't mean that we don't take care to follow the precautions we can do to the best of our abilities, but we don't stress about how to do that or the outcome.

So, wash hands, strengthen your immunity with vitamins, and be careful, but do all that without fear!

No Fear

One would think that after having twelve children, I wouldn't have fear of labor and delivery, but both myself and my husband, have voiced to each other that we are experiencing fear this time (when we haven't in the past). We don't really understand why, but we know that with God, there is no need to fear. I am reminding myself of the following verses to combat the fear.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Philippians 4:6-7 KJV 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Exodus 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

Judges 6:23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

1 Chronicles 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.

Daniel 10:19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

When Men No Longer Fear God

How to Fight Fear of Man

Nehemiah 4:1-6 KJV

1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. 4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: 5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. 6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

Whenever we do something against the norm or against the wishes of others, the first step to get us to stop is ridicule. Nehemiah experienced the same.

Sanballat and Tobiah both made condescending remarks to the Jews in an effort to get them to stop building the wall. Did Nehemiah allow that to stop them? No! He didn't even combat their ridicule by responding to them. Instead, he took the matter to God. He allowed God to fight back for him.

He took it to God, left it at His feet and then they continued with the work. They didn't dwell on what others thought of them. They knew what God had called them to do and they did it.

I'm ashamed to admit how many times I allow fear of man to stop me from doing God's work. I need to be more like Nehemiah-ignore man, take it to God, leave it there, and then get back to work.

How do you react when the world seems against you following God's commands?

Fear