Yesterday during worship the theme I was hearing had to do with fear, and trading our fears to God for faith. Living in fear is largely us agreeing with the thought that God can't or won't help us in our situation. We can look at many different fears, but the root of most of them, for those of us who are Christian, is a deep down distrust of God's attention or affection for us.
A while back I was struggling with an issue, and I found myself angry at God, because it was in following Him that I found myself in this particular situation. As I listened to my own grumbling, I found myself accusing God of not caring for me. Suddenly I felt the Lord break in and remind me of who the accuser is, namely satan (Rev. 12:10). He then showed me a picture of a court room, and on one side was satan, acting as a prosecutor, accusing God of not caring for me. God then asked me which side of the court I was on, and I realized I was siding with satan, rather than Him! Needless to say, I immediately repented, and changed the way I was thinking, and speaking and my whole attitude and perspective instantly changed. I realized that I had been agreeing with the enemy, and I was fearing for my future, and I was agreeing with satan's accusations of God, that He didn't really love me or care for me.
This is somewhat similar to what I found myself seeing yesterday. I felt like the Lord was inviting us to look at our hearts, and our thoughts and attitudes, and repent for our fears! I felt like He was allowing us to trade sides, and allowing us to recognize what we were struggling with and then aligning ourselves with Him. As I was reflecting on this, I was thinking that we wanted to trade our fears for the opposite, and that seemed like it was faith. As I have reflected a bit more this morning, I think I would say that the opposite of fear, is the knowledge of His perfect love which is experienced through faith. John writes the following - 1 John 4:16b,18 NIV:
[16b] "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."
[18] "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
In other words, if we really know and understand God's perfect love for us, we aren't going to fear! We aren't going to listen to the lies of the enemy, to his accusations We will know that God loves us, that He isn't going to punish us, and that He isn't rejecting us, for perfect love would do neither of those things!
The other verse has that I am reminded of has to do with God's ability to help us. As I wrote earlier, in fear we often believe that God won't or can't help us. In regards to not being able to help us, sometimes, we give our circumstances more power than God! Paul wrote a wonderful set of verses in his letter to the Romans 8:32-35,38-39 NIV:
[32] "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died---more than that, who was raised to life---is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"
[38] "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
And finally Matthew 28:18 NIV:
[18] "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
HE has the power, and the authority over everything, including every sickness and disease! Jesus demonstrated that over and over as He healed everyone who came to him, regardless of their sickness or infirmity. God has as much power today as He ever did, so He is capable of healing our diseases and our infirmities.
Finally, I will say that there is also a legitimate fear of suffering and pain, which I know full well. The issue around this is how we are thinking about the cause of the suffering and pain. Are we thinking this is punishment from God for some sin we committed? Are we thinking that because we haven't been healed, in spite of many prayers, that God doesn't love us? If we find either of those or several related thoughts being embraced in our hearts and minds then we need to recognize once again that we are agreeing with the accuser.
My heart goes out to all who are sick and in pain, those who are crippled, wounded, hopeless, rejected, or whatever other condition that causes pain and suffering. I know well the struggle, the heart cry, and the longing and waiting for relief. My prayer for us all is that we might fully grasp how wide, deep, long and high is God's perfect love for us! I pray that we might find healing, freedom and relief in Him! I pray the the lies of the enemy would be silenced! I pray that the light of Christ would shine brightly in all our lives!
Let us trade in our fears and receive love and life! Let us lay down our agreements with the enemy of our souls, and let us choose instead the perfect Love of God, and embrace faith in Him and in His love! Let us step into freedom and life! Let us welcome the one who loves us from before the creation of the world! (Eph 1:4-5).
Amen and Amen!
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