The Greater Fear
Let’s face it, we are all afraid…at some point and of something! In fact, at some level we are all afraid of something at any given time. Afraid we won’t be liked, of being rejected, of growing old, of financial ruin, of failure and even of success. I’m a little afraid of not finishing this blog! Yes, we are afraid!
The good news is God gave us a spirit, His Spirit, but it is not one of fear! The Spirit he gives us and fills us with gives us power, love and allows us to have self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
There is an ache in the human soul to be free from fear. We don’t like fear and we desire to be free from its power and its effects. The problem is most of us are trying to get free, be free, feel free and experience freedom when in reality the access to freedom from fear is not in trying to be free but is in a greater fear – the fear of God. The fear of God is the door to freedom, to life, to wisdom, to honour and to blessing! Proverbs 14:27 reveals to us that the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life!
When we have the fear of God, we are set free from the fear of man, which scripture says proves to be a snare. What does it mean to have the fear of God? The fear of God is to be in awe of his character, his power, his justice, his love. When we trust in Him first and put Him first, we are fearing Him – this is freedom because it breaks the power of us placing our trust in anything else.
Proverbs 29:25
Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
Freedom is found in the greater fear!
I spent months ‘abiding’ in Psalm 91 during the latter part of 2018 and most of 2019 after I was diagnosed with cancer. I have read Psalm 91 many times. But there’s nothing like a challenge and overwhelming fear to help you see the scriptures with a new lens of clarity and faith. This Psalm definitely became an incredible source of strength and comfort and an amazing place to ‘hide’. The Lord is always our hiding place and our place of refuge but particularly so during times of strife and challenge.
There is no better writer than David in expressing his pain as well as helping us as readers to discover answers when we most need them. This Psalm is full of powerful and poetic imagery that gives us kingdom principles and lays out the poignant truth of God’s love and dedication for us. Verse after verse he lays down the details of the Lord’s support for us and battle over us as we face challenges that attempt to destroy our lives and bring unspeakable fear.
Verse 5-6 is a classic example…
You will not fear the terror of the night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
Nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness
Nor the plague that destroys at midday
I love the fact David lists specifically all the things we need not fear. I like the word he repeats at the start of each phrase, ‘Nor’. He is not generic in his exhortation to not fear, he is specific and direct. These are the things that will ‘stalk’ you in a battle, but these are the things that you need not fear!
Here are my thoughts on what each one of these fears may represent:
The Terror of the night…
I believe these are the ‘thoughts’ that seem to appear in the late hours. You’re about to go to sleep or you wake in the middle of the night and suddenly your thinking turns dark. Even things you weren’t that concerned about in the light of day suddenly take on a far more sinister form. Not only that but the fearful thoughts seem to multiply and come in clusters! It’s at these times that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding certainly will (and needs to) guard our hearts and minds.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The arrow that flies by day…
We may get negative thoughts at night, but during the day arrows of criticism and accusation can ‘fly’ at us. How we deal with these accusations will determine a lot of our future. The aim or scheme of accusation is to create offence and offence left undealt with leads to division, relationship breakdown and eventually a break-down of purpose in our lives. The key is to not ‘take’ offence and let no root of bitterness get entry into our lives. Applying the power of the cross into our lives daily keeps us protected from the arrows of accusation!
Hebrews 12:15
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
The pestilence that stalks in the darkness…
Many people fear sickness, some type of calamity or possibly some sort of life-threatening situation. The fear is that there is something bad, “stalking in darkness”. Our greatest ally in times when unexpected challenges arrive is faith. Faith in God’s goodness, love and ultimate protection. In fact faith itself helps us overcome the fear that also arrives in the difficult times.
Charles H. Spurgeon in his exposition of this verse has insightfully noted:
“Faith by cheering the heart keeps it free from the fear which, in times of pestilence, kills more than the plague itself.”
The plague that destroys at midday…
If there was ever a time that could be aptly described by this verse, it would be now. After 14 months of a global pandemic (plague), the world has seen the destruction of lives, the dismantling of economies, the tensions of social unrest and disagreement – all in plain sight (midday). Sometimes the enemies that we are faced with are unavoidable and they come whether we want them to or not. This pandemic is not stalking in the night, its raging, unfettered (seemingly) in the open. Governments and medical institutions are scrambling to keep up with its fury. Some nations have handled it better than others, but regardless, everyone has been impacted in some shape or form by Covid19.
It is definitely a season to meditate on Psalm 91 and to trust God more than we fear the impact of this plague. The great power of the Gospel is that there is hope in the midst of suffering and God-directed outcomes in spite of challenges. The challenge is not to avoid challenge, but to reject fear!
Later in verse 7 he gives a reason…
Because I have made the Lord your dwelling place –
The Most High who is my refuge –
No evil shall be allowed to befall you
No plague come near your tent