“But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure,
without fear of evil.”
Can you tell today that our opposition’s greatest desire is
for you to fear? Whatever that
opposition may be in your life. I am considering
those opposed to God. Those that oppose
God want you to fear something. For
example, that the earth is warming, or lately, the climate is changing. They want you to fear terrorists, wars,
government dictatorship, or revolution.
Lately it even seems that they promote fear of someone not of our own
skin color. And they certainly want you
to fear sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and speaking His Truth. Fear is a handy tool of the evil one because fear crowds out faith.
Earlier in this first chapter of Proverbs, God tell us that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7a). When we
put God in His proper place and respect His Might Power, His Holiness, and His
inability to be anything but Just, then we realize that to fear something else
is to take our Almighty God out of His proper place.
The following quote was pinned long ago. Still, it crisply applies to us in today’s
time of potential fear of evil:
“Divine love is rendered conspicuous when it shines in the
midst of judgments. Fair is that lone star which smiles through the rifts of
the thunder clouds; bright is the oasis which blooms in the wilderness of sand;
so fair and so bright is love in the midst of wrath. When the Israelites
provoked the Most High by their continued idolatry, He punished them by
withholding both dew and rain, so that their land was visited by a sore famine;
but while He did this, He took care that His own chosen ones should be secure.
If all other brooks are dry, yet shall there be one reserved for Elijah; and
when that fails, God shall still preserve for him a place of sustenance; nay,
not only so, the Lord had not simply one "Elijah," but He had a
remnant according to the election of grace, who were hidden by fifties in a
cave, and though the whole land was subject to famine, yet these fifties in the
cave were fed, and fed from Ahab's table too by His faithful, God-fearing
steward, Obadiah. Let us from this draw the inference, that come what may,
God's people are safe. Let convulsions shake the solid earth, let the skies
themselves be rent in twain, yet amid the wreck of worlds the believer shall be
as secure as in the calmest hour of rest. If God cannot save His people under
heaven, He will save them in heaven. If the world becomes too hot to
hold them, then heaven shall be the place of their reception and their safety.
Be ye then confident, when ye hear of wars, and rumours of wars. Let no
agitation distress you, but be quiet from fear of evil. Whatsoever cometh upon
the earth, you, beneath the broad wings of Jehovah, shall be secure. Stay
yourself upon His promise; rest in His faithfulness, and bid defiance to the
blackest future, for there is nothing in it direful for you. Your sole concern
should be to show forth to the world the blessedness of hearkening to the voice
of wisdom.”
Hoist the evil one with his own petard! Do not let fear take over, rather crowd out fear with your faith in an All
Knowing Creator. Our Savior has been a
Sovereign God throughout thousands of years of man's government. He has seen it all through to the end. He knows the end. And
while He has told us it shall be as it never was before, we also know He keeps
His promises:
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things
as you have. For He Himself has said “I
will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So we may boldly say: “The LORD
is my helper; I will not fear. What can
man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)
What a Mighty God we serve.
So mighty, we can be quiet from fear of evil.
May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
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