The other day I looked up the word “fear” in Webster’s Dictionary, and interestingly enough there were 2 definitions in there. It seems that when people, places and things are associated with fear, there is “unpleasant emotion.” But in the 2nd definition when fear is associated with God….the result is “awe”.
Fear- 1) an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger;
intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation, aversion, anxiety, trepidation implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation
2) to have a reverential awe of God
There is one healthy fear, it’s one that I never want to give up. It is one that brings on reverence and awe: The Fear of the Lord.
In Proverbs we read that the Fear of the Lord is the starting place of knowledge. Pr. 1:7 “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
Turn over all fears to God, for he is the only one worthy of our fear. We stand in awe of the Lord, his holiness illuminates our unworthiness; and yet, God loves us. He said so, he even said he loved us first, before the foundations of the earth were laid; and that he has gone to prepare a place of us. He has promised to love us with an everlasting love. If God loves us like that, then, what should we fear from anyone or anything?
When fear strikes trying recalling scripture like Ps 91:2, “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge, and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Make a choice today, decide now, that this will be your response when you are faced with fear.
Writing on fear, I am reminded of a young man from Kenya who used to work in the office next to mine. I loved the melody of his voice and he had a million African expressions that always tickled my funny bone. One winter night I was working late at my office on a big presentation. Time had slipped away and I began to fear the thought of walking into the parking lot alone. As I locked the office door, I saw that the young man, my Kenyan friend, was walking ahead of me, exiting our building at the same time. I called out for him to wait, and I confessed that I was afraid to walk alone into the dark. I asked him if he was ever fearful in our country. His face got very serious and he got teary-eyed as he begin to speak about his Kenyan Grandma, who had raised him. “She was a strong Christian woman who loved us dearly and she had her hands full with me as I was such a fearful child. She would always say to me, “My sweetie, When fear knocks at your front door, send faith down to answer it!” “
When you are face with fear and can’t see chose to let faith lead the way! “When I am afraid I will trust in you.” Psalm 56:3
-M
