As I have studied about fear in my efforts to overcome my own fears. Here is what I’ve learned.
#1 We should fear God
In the fear of God is wisdom, safety, peace of mind, and even long life. Here are some verses:
Psalm 34:4
“I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”Psalm 111:10
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”
When I think of fear, it is not the kind of “Oh, I’m afraid God is going to zap me if I don’t do that.” God does not want puppets and although he has the power to “zap” that is simply not how He works most of the time.
To me, fearing God means that I am afraid to live without Him. As I drift away (invariably as close as I get to God sometimes, I always drift), I snap back into the reality that I simply cannot live this life, I cannot live a good life, I cannot be pleasing to God, I CANNOT DO THIS ALONE!
I am as dependent upon him as I am the air I breathe. Just as one can only hold their breath for a certain length of time without then beginning to panic. Likewise, I can remain prayerless or away from His word for a certain length of time without then beginning a similar panic of feeling cut off from life. The longer I go, the weaker I get.
I need my God and Savior. Jesus Christ is near to me when I draw near to Him. God, His father, is as vital to my being as the heart that beats in my chest! That is what fearing God means to me. Acknowledging that I cannot live properly without Him and that I’m desperate to return to His goodness!
Tomorrow I’ll share the second lesson I’ve learned about fear.
From the Mission Field
Meanwhile, our missionaries in Niger have created a prayer blog to pray for the Tamashek (Tuareg) people that we have been praying for since I started blogging in December. The missionaries are specifically asking that we:
Pray that He will send rain to Niger. There have been a few rains but much later and less than normal. People are suffering from lack of water and fear of famine. While in the bush we saw people who had to go 14 km to get drinking water. Most of their time is consumed in finding water for themselves and their animals.
Lord, help us fear you and not fear man. Bless our missionaries and the people in Niger. Help us provide water and send rain to them so that they will have time to learn about Your word. Thank you for your many blessings and for the United States of America. May we turn to you and away from our sins. In Jesus name. Amen.