“Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears.”― Rudyard Kipling
Fear is a liar. We've heard it, we've said and yet in the past 12 months we see pointedly where our fears truly lie. It's been a year of put your money where your mouth is.
This right here, is about the only thing the would seem reasonable to fear. Let's call it a healthy dose of wisdom and fear when we running screaming in the other direction upon seeing this little creature.
And yet, our God calls us to only fear ONE thing, or rather, ONE Person- Him.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:10
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord- only.
In recent days the mask mandates have been lifted in five states, with a great many of us cheering for answered prayer.
There are a great many who are fearFUL, concerned about the wisdom of such reckless behavior. If you do not know the Jesus I know, you very much should be fearFUL, not just of the no mask business, but of everything. At any moment there could be any number of conditions to befall you and without faith in the Living God, you are up the proverbial creek. At any point you could be snatched away from this earth, unsure of your eternal destiny. This quite frankly would terrify me if I didn't know the Messiah Jesus. Rightly so.
But for those who claim faith in Jesus, fear is an abomination, an afront.
I was at a laundromat recently due to no water and frozen pipes. Of course I had a bare face, because let's be real... it's a laundromat. People are flinging their dirty laundry, literally, and germs and nonsense are flying. I'm certain my breath is not a hazard as I sit and wait for my wash. A lady walking by did not agree and she let me know in no uncertain terms. Yelling at me, "no mask??", and muttering some other things, I looked at her and ask, "ma'am, do you know Jesus? I want to tell you why I'm not afraid."
To say she was disgusted would be an understatement. The Cross and Savior has long been a source of contention, yet my heart hurt for this women. She was in such fear, in fear of something we have a 99.9% chance of recovering from- IF you even catch it.
You, believer in Jesus the Messiah, YOU too, have this hope of protection, provision and promise. Some say it's not God's will for us to be safe and healthy. The Word of God would sharply disagree with such nonsense words. There is a catch of course to this kind of supernatural protection- you must dwell in the shelter of the Most High, you must abide in the shadow of the Almighty. He must be your God in whom you trust. Meaning, your trust must not be in anything else. Not in a mask, a vaccine, a certain way of eating, a supplement, an essential oil, a business, a politician, a mandate, NOTHING else but God and God alone.
In order to receive His care and protection we must be full of faith and trust in Him only.
Then we have the glorious opportunity to be delivered from the snare and trapper, and from deadly pestilence. Because we trust in God alone, He covers us with His pinions and under His wings we seek refuge.
Have you ever seen a mother hen with her baby chicks? This is the picture Psalm 91 is giving- a mother bird fiercely protecting her babies. The Lord contends for us, fiercely, violently. He does not deal well with those who try to mess with His babies. But if you're not His, if you haven't called on the Savior, you don't stand a chance to be protected. You haven't even asked for it.
God's faithfulness is a shield, and because it is, we are protected from fear and terror. The terror by night and the arrows that fly by day. Any pestilence that stalks in darkness, not an issue for the believer of the living God. Destruction, ain't no thing. Oh we will see a thousand fall at our sides, possibly even ten thousand at our right hand, but it shall not approach us, we will only see it with our eyes. Just to reiterate, the Word reminds us in verses 9 of Psalm 91, because we have made the Lord our refuge, the Most High our dwelling place, NO EVIL WILL BEFALL US. Nor will ANY PLAGUE come near your tent.
Oh and guess what! You get angels assigned to you, ones that guard you in all your ways. They themselves will hold you up so that you will not stumble on something you didn't see or prepare for. Because you have made the Lord God your refuge, even the things you weren't prepared for won't touch you. Not economic disaster, not a pandemic, not an ice storm, no thing.
The words of the Psalm go on to say that because we have loved Him, therefore, He will deliver us. He will set us securely on high. Anyone in need of feeling secure and safe? Put your trust in God alone.
Call on Him, He promises to answer you. When you call on the name of the Lord and find your hope, trust and faith in Him, He promises to satisfy you with a long life. There is a catch- you must follow Him and His ways. That's what putting your faith and trust in God means. Not acting a fool, going your own way, treating the Word of God like it's flexible to suit your needs and desires. No my friend, it's a giving over control to the God who knit you together in your mother's womb- completely and fully giving over to Him and His ways.
Salvation is a free gift, all you must do is believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Blessings however, protection, well, this comes when we activate that faith and put full assurance and trust in Him. When we do that, we can't help ourselves but to trust in His ways. Obeying His commands is a delight, it becomes so easy and light. His ways fit the believer like a glove.
And fear? It has no place when you are filled to the full with Holy Spirit. Fear cannot stand in the presence of faith. Fearing the Lord is an awe feeling, a feeling of reverence and giving of great respect, like you would your parents. Fear of anything else is a terror, a type of dread. The Lord doesn't give us a spirit of terror, dread of timidity. He gives us a spirit of love, power and sound mind. The power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, by the way. A mighty power, coursing through the veins of the believer. This is no impotent God you serve, my friend. He is not One who was surprised and taken off guard by some teeny virus. It's like any other plague that has befalling mankind. Those who are in His care are protected. Those who are not, well, are not.
Want this insane assurance of protection and zero fear in the presence of pandemic? Then call on the name of the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. Saved in the Greek is Sozo, a total and complete healing. If you want to know and fully understand the benefits of salvation research the magnitude of that word. It will astound you at what you've been missing out on. When you see your friends excited about not being forced to don a mask, understand that they simple walk by faith, not by sight. They trust in God and Him alone. Not science, not a vaccine, not a mandate or a cloth shield- which is so flimsy. Their trust is in Almighty God, their Shield, Fortress and Refuge.
Fear God, it is the beginning of wisdom.