‘Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. The one thing I ask of the Lord — the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord ’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.’ Psalms 27:3-5(NLT)
‘And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6(NLT)
‘Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? ‘ John 14:9(NLT)
‘The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. ‘ Hebrews 1:3(NLT)
‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.’ Proverbs 3:5(NLT)
“Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:3-5).
Think of all the men who tried to kill David: the giant Goliath, King Saul and his son Absalom just to name a few. David knew what it was like to have people try to kill him. Yet the only person David feared was the Lord.
So how does one fear the Lord without fearing the Lord? In other words, how can you have a healthy, reverent awe of God without being afraid of Him? It all starts with a relationship, and to have a relationship with someone you have to spend time together with them. As you get to know someone, you can build that trust in them, and trust is the key. David trusted that the Lord was who He said He was.
The question is…do you trust who the Lord says He is in His word? “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Do you believe God is who He says He is?
Think of all the names of God (e.g., Jehovah Rapha, Jireh, Shalom) that reflect His character; they are all positive names of healing, providing, peace, and love. So what is not to like? If you would, close your eyes for just a moment and think of God and what image you have of Him. Now, do the same thing of Jesus. What image comes to mind of Him? Are they the same? Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9 NIV). And the writer of Hebrews tell us, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV).
Many people have a distorted view of God. They think of Him as the big disciplinarian and they think of Jesus as the nice, friendly guy. If you don’t see Jesus and God in the same light, you need to change lenses. If you want to fear less, then trust more! “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 NIV).
Prayer: Dear God, forgive me for having a distorted image of who You really are. I want to be God-fearing without being afraid of You. Help me to invest my faith and place my trust in You, my loving heavenly Father. In Jesus name, Amen.
from Fear Not! A Journey From Fear To Freedom (Part 2)