Fearless - Encouragement Café - October 26
Fearless
By Katie Harmon
In the fear of the LORD [is] strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. Proverbs 14:26 KJV
It’s October – my favorite month. I love the crunch of the leaves, the crisp chill of the air in my lungs, the hats and scarves, and especially Halloween. I am a lifelong fan of “haunted houses” and scary movies. I like to be scared. Strange concept, isn’t it?
However, I am not the only one. According to a study done by CNBC in 2013, “haunted houses” in America generate hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in ticket sales. But why? What is the allure of mass horror? Why do we pay to be scared?
Maybe it’s because it is fun or funny to see the reactions of others. Maybe it is because it allows us to work out our very real fears without any real threat of violence or danger.
Maybe it’s the adrenaline rush. Maybe… but I tend to think that the reason we shell out the bucks to be terrified is because we want to know that we are not alone in our fear.
Fear is one thing we all have in common. We are afraid of spiders and snakes, clowns and heights. We’re afraid of thunder and lightning, needles and blood. We’re afraid of the dark and being buried alive.
But if we were honest with ourselves about our fears, we would admit that the things we are truly afraid of are much more serious and less concrete. We fear for our own safety, and that of our loved ones. We fear the future and the unknown. We fear loss and death, and we don’t know how to stop.
As children of God, our fear presents a problem, for Our Father says:
Fear not… (Isaiah 41:10)
Fear not… (Psalm 56:3)
Do not be afraid… (Matthew 28:10)
Fear not… (Luke 12:32)
Fear not… (Revelation 1:17)
These are only a very few of the many times God’s Word calls us to abandon our fears. But how? How does He expect us to live fearlessly? We are only human, and there are few things more human than fear.
Interestingly, in all our anxiety there is usually one thing we do not fear, or at least do not fear as much as we should – God.
To fear something is to believe that it has power, and to fear God is to trust in His power and goodness. The fear of the Lord gives us “strong confidence” and “a place of refuge.”
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 NIV
Oswald Chambers explained it like this – “…When you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”
What are you afraid of? Say it out loud. Write down. Tell God. Then tell God how much you fear Him, how you worship and trust Him. Say it over and over. Write it down. Live it out. For the bigger your God, the smaller your fear.
Jesus, thank You for being our refuge and protector. We know that a heart is safe when it rests in You. Teach us to fear God and nothing else. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
© 2020 by Katie Harmon. All rights reserved.
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