FEAR

I had a conversation with Holy Spirit about fear. First, there are two kinds of fear: reverential fear, or awe of the Most High, which is the wise and best posture for all of us (Psalm 34:10, 111:10; Proverbs 1:7, 9:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew 10:28; Hebrews 12:28-29). Second is a negative fear that represents cowardice, anxiety, timidity, and terror. Over the years, I have heard people use the popular acrostic, 'false evidence appearing real,' for this type of 'fear.' And last week, I was troubled by the words 'false evidence,' because the word 'evidence' makes you think of facts, or finding some artifact or clue that ends up being 'false.' Yes, sometimes the threat is real, but at other times it is a response to the enemy trying to plant "frightening exaggerations about reality" that have no foundation, especially for the children of the Most High.

Depending on the version of the Bible you read, the words 'fear not'

"Do not be afraid" appears in over 100 verses, which implies it can be a common reaction to situations. However, the person's response determines the outcome; reverential fear of God and walking in faith yield positive outcomes. For example, when the angel appeared to Joseph about taking Mary as a wife, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary regarding becoming the mother of Yeshua, and the angel spoke to the shepherds in the field, announcing the birth of Yeshua; each angel gave a "Fear not" or "Do not be afraid" greeting (Matthew 1:20, Luke 1:30, Luke 2:10). I would imagine the sight of a supernatural being, the angel of the Most High, standing before you could invoke fear and fight or flight, yet in each instance the angel was bringing exciting news about the soon-to-arrive Savior! Similar instances happened to Zechariah announcing the birth of John and to the women at the tomb when Yeshua had risen! (Luke 1:13, Matthew 28:5). In the Old Testament, angels appeared to Daniel several times to bring him great news for himself and the people of G-d (Daniel 8:16, 9:21; 10:5-6, 12). In each of these situations, the people did not run or escape but walked in faith; ADONAI prevailed, and the people were blessed.

We know that standing in faith in the face of negative fear is our call as believers from 2 Timothy 1:7-8, when Paul encourages a timid Timothy, "For G-d gave us a Spirit who produced not timidity (fear), but power, love, and self-discipline." So do not be ashamed of bearing testimony to our Lord or to me, his prisoner. On the contrary, accept your share in suffering disgrace for the sake of the Good News. "G-d will give you strength for it..." The enemy would want us, like Timothy, to exhibit fear, to stop bearing witness to the works of Yeshua, and to give in to fear when suffering or challenging times come, especially if we are unsure or anxious about our assignment on earth. Paul still testified to the goodness of the LORD while in prison and encouraged Timothy to continue doing the same. His circumstances did not determine his witness! Adversity should provoke POWER and not fear. Why power? Because the LORD declares that Holy Spirit produces that power and self-control to not let our emotions, exaggerations, and difficulties control us, but to stand in and on the Power of G-d, the One who is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, sees all, and directs our steps!

A negative response to the spirit of fear yields undesired outcomes. If the response stems from believing the adversary's "false exaggerations about reality," not from faith in G-d, it can end in tragedy, loss, and shame because the enemies' exaggerations causes doubt in the Most High's love and protection. There is real danger in letting our emotions control us, especially FEAR. For example, the book of Jasher, chapter 23, verses 86-90, details the death of Sarah, who was deceived by Satan's exaggerations and lies, leading her to believe that Abraham had sacrificed Isaac, only to learn later that he had not. It is written that her "soul left her" due to the extreme highs and lows of her emotions, which ultimately led to her death. Similarly, the fearful servant in Matthew 25:14-30 buried his one talent because of his fretful, exaggerated view of the master and did not use the gift entrusted to him. His fear blinded him from seeing how to be fruitful and multiply his talent like the other servants. He ended up not only losing his talent but also having to watch the one with ten talents receive the talent stripped from him.

In these stories, the enemy presented false exaggerations of the situation as something bigger than G-d, and that is never true! For every believer, the reality is that G-d is always an ever-present help (cf. Psalms 46:1). No matter the circumstance or the perceived or real threat of danger, the Most High is greater and will bring you through!

Walk in power!