Fear

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” (Psalm 34:3-5 ESV)

What do you fear? I mean fear, not dislike. I would not say I like snakes. I do not fear them; I just do not like them. They are creepy, they move, and they look creepy, and I do not like them. However, I do not fear them. They are nothing a good shovel cannot take care of if needed. I mean, what do you fear?

The psalmist tells us we have nothing to fear because we are with God. Jump from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and not only are we with God, but for those who have faith in Christ, God is in us. We have passed from death to life.

We should have a fear of God, and that is it. I am not saying we should be reckless and walk into danger. What I am saying is that I fear no one. I always tell my son I am going to live to be 120. I know I will not; my father died in his seventies, and my grandfather as well. I will be 60; there you go, you do the math. But I do not fear my own death because I look forward to Christ.

People always ask, “Are you not afraid of society? How can you walk up to a complete stranger, much less one who appears to be Middle Eastern in descent, and start talking about Jesus? My wife thinks what we do when we evangelize is crazy. I have had people say that it is all about your approach. I agree, to some point, but I love talking about Jesus, and that shows. Many people who pass through our ministry say they have never heard such a strong and forceful message put so gently.

When Jesus taught, He taught with authority; most of the time, He gently corrected the behaviors of those He taught. Jesus could be and was, at times, deliberately confrontational—most of the time, this confrontation was seen when Christ confronted the Pharisees or Sadducees. When we teach, it is God who teaches through us. We cannot save anyone; only Christ can save. But when we speak the truth, the authority of God passes through us in the form of His Word.

As the psalmist wrote, do not fear, for the Lord has delivered you from all fears. Remember Philippians 1:21: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” You may beat me, rob me, take my life, but you cannot take my eternity; Christ has beaten you to it.

Peace and Grace!