Fear (Not)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV 

I once heard that the Enemy shouts, but God whispers because the one who whispers is always closer than the one who needs to shout.

The Bible tells us over and over again not to be afraid. We constantly need to be reminded of it because fear is definitely a shouter. Fear can enter the scene like a giant towering over us and giving us plenty of reasons why we should duck and make a run for it. Taking fear’s advice and dashing for the nearest exit can be terribly tempting.

But what if fear was a thief? What if it simply bullied the children of God into forfeiting what He has in store for us?

What if we mistakenly take the wrong advice by listening to fear, and we surrendered what was rightfully ours as God’s children? How many times have we let fear rob us blind and take our peace of mind, relationships, joy, opportunities and freedom?

This is sometimes referred to as the “Grasshopper Syndrome.” In the book of Numbers, Moses sent out 12 men on a recon mission to check out the land that God had promised them. Numbers 13:27-28 says this: “They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.” They saw what God had promised them really was good! But fear took hold of them; the obstacles and the challenges standing in their way seemed too overwhelming and intimidating. They took fear’s advice, and they concluded: “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13:33 NIV). Although everyone melted in fear, Caleb and Joshua pleaded with the people of Israel not to be afraid because God was with them (Numbers 14:9). But the people would not listen, and they gave into fear, refusing to trust God.

Fear can do that. It can harden our hearts so that we will not trust or believe God. Just like in Jesus’ parable of the sower who sows seeds on different types of ground, “the seeds [that fell] on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12 MSG). Fear can harden our hearts to God’s voice, making it easy for the Enemy to “snatch” away God’s words. So, what do we do when fear calls out our name? What do we do when panic seizes us, and our heart hardens in self-preservation?

What if we really did treat fear like a bully that wants to intimidate us into not trusting God? Living for an audience of one becomes the solution to our problem! When fear shouts lies at us, trying to convince us we’re nothing more than grasshoppers, we can take refuge in God and listen to His gentle whisper. Then fear loses its grip on us and shrinks in comparison to God.

What a game-changer! Then we can say like Caleb:

“(…)  the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.” (Joshua 14:8 NIV) And we can rejoice like Joshua declaring that “…no one has been able to stand up to you [God’s people]. Think of it – one of you, single-handedly, putting a thousand on the run! Because God is God, your God. Because he fights for you, just as he promised you.” (Joshua 23:9-10 MSG).

Heavenly Father, thank you that You are the God-of-Angel-Armies, and You fight for us! Thank you for not letting us settle for a life controlled by fear but for calling us into a life of freedom. Although thieves and robbers lay in wait for us, You go before us and deliver us from danger. God, remind us that when fear assaults us, all we need to do is be still and know that You are God, the Saving One. Teach our hearts to hear Your whisper more loudly than any other voice. In Jesus’ name, amen!