Delivered from Fear

OK, let’s get this scenario down pat.  You have an enemy.  He hates you, for absolutely no good reason, of course.  He is chasing you.  He has a car and you are on foot.  He has a gun and you do not.  You think you just might be able to escape if you take this next turn, but, no, it is a high solid brick wall and you are now boxed in.  You turn around and there is your enemy.  What is your instant emotional reaction?  Fear!  Then from high in the sky comes a voice that says, “Fear not.” 

Now you are aware of the situation of the Israelites as they fled from the Egyptians and were caught up against the Red Sea.  Certain Death smiles its hideous and ominous grin and you have a natural response.  But God wants you to have a supernatural response.  He wants you to trust Him.

This situation confronts us daily.  It may not be imminent death.  It may be financial or familial crisis.  It may be a civic crisis.  It may be an employment issue.  We face death of hope or security or love on a daily basis.  We want to duck and hide, but that won’t work.  We want to fight back, but we are out resourced by our enemy.  We want to cry but that won’t help.  God says, “Look up.  I Am here.  Fear not.” 

What is our basis to trust this voice?  Well, He sent His Son to save us.  That is a pretty good basis.  He must have loved us a lot to do that and cared for us a great deal to make such a sacrifice.  We can also remember that He has been there in the past.  If we have walked with God for a while we have seen His care.  If we are new at this we can see that His word tells us He has cared for others in the past.  We can remember what Paul told the Colossians, “As you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him.”  We received Christ by trusting God’s promise to us concerning salvation.  We need to walk in that same trust that God cares for the saved.  By the way, the end of the story is that Israel was once again saved and the entire enemy force was left literally dead in the water.  Yes, we can trust God to care for His saints.

Consider today the third stanza of John Yates’ great hymn, “Faith is the Victory.”

 “On every hand the foe we find drawn up in dread array. Let tents of ease be left behind
and onward to the fray. Salvation’s helmet on each head, with truth all girt about, the earth shall tremble ’neath our tread, and echo with our shout.  Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory that overcomes the world.”

 

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