Devotion / Freedom from fear

Have you ever been afraid?

 Fear is something each of us has experienced.  The Oxford dictionary tells us that fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that something is dangerous, painful, or threatening. Someone once studied things that people fear the most. Number one was fear of speaking in front of a group of people. Number two was fear of heights. Some people become terrified to go on top of a roof or look down into a deep pit. Number three was fear of going to the dentist. There probably isn’t anyone who hasn’t experienced that. Number four was fear of snakes. Five was the fear of flying, six a fear of spiders and insects, and seven was a fear of tight spaces or claustrophobia. Number eight was the fear of mice, nine, a fear of dogs, and number ten was the fear of thunder and lightning.

 How many of these fears are on your list? Certainly there are others that could be added like the fear of dying, fear of loneliness, or fear of becoming ill. We saw fear at work during Covid 19 when intense fear gripped the entire world. Fear is real and can be debilitating.

 God understands our fears

 The Bible often speaks of fear, even among God’s people. God told Isaac, Moses, Joshua, and Gideon not to fear. In the Christmas story Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds were all told not to be afraid. In fact, the Bible mentions fear over 300 times!

 God knows that as sinful human beings, we constantly battle fear. It’s a weakness we all share. Yet again and again he assures us in his word that as his beloved children, we have a place to take our fears. God assures us that he is with us every moment of every day. Scripture says he “holds our hand”, “places his hand on our shoulder”, and “holds us close to his heart.” Yes, we might still be hesitant to climb onto a roof or fly in an airplane, but we need never fear loneliness, being unloved, or not knowing where we will spend eternity. God has it all under control. He took those fears away on the cross at Calvary, where he proved his grace is sufficient to remove any fears. Don’t ever forget his promise: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

by Reynold R. Kremer