Fighting and Defeating Fear
 
The Bible says that the fear of man brings a snare.  Recent events have brought this ancient truth home in a powerful new way.  Fear for our children from the tragedy at Columbine High school.   Fear for our government workers since the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City.  And now, fear for our national security and the threat to our freedom, from terrorists who are at war with Israel and the United States of America.  The entire free world is under attack.
 
What is God’s remedy for such justified fears?  Amazingly enough, the Bible tells us that the answer to the fear of man is an even greater fear: the fear of the Lord. 
 
King David, the giant killer, reached a stage in his life when he faced a giant he alone could not conquer:  the giant of paralyzing fear.  All his confidence from past victories had vanished.  His confidence level was at zero.  He was an emotional wreck.  He felt physically exhausted.  He had lived with too much stress for too long.
 
He fled to enemy territory, the land of the Philistines, where Achish was king.  Recognized, then captured, David feigned madness in the presence of the king.  He scratched, drooled, acted insane—and managed to save his life.   But the cost was great:  humiliation in the presence of his enemies.  God’s mighty warrior, Israel’s hero, reduced to a pathetic sight.
 
After Achish forced him out, David fled to the caves of Adullam, where he found temporary refuge.  There, alone with God, he wrote Psalm 34 as he battled the greatest enemy of his life:  his fear of men.  
 
“I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears… This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them”  (Psalm 34:4,6-7).
 
David made a discovery, a revelation by the Spirit of God, and he shares it with us through this Psalm.  He discovered there is only one way to escape the paralyzing fear of man.  And that is to develop an even greater fear— the fear of the Lord. 
 
Fear is not necessarily a bad thing.  It can even be a positive thing.  We all have a healthy fear of fire, which protects us from harm.  Fear of failure can become a positive when it motivates us to do better or motivates us to work harder.  Fear is not always the problem.  The problem is, knowing what to fear. 
 
You have heard the expression  “fight fire with fire.”  Well, we can also fight fear with fear —an even greater fear, the fear of the Lord.
 
When we fear men our eyes are upon men or upon our circumstances and we see human failure and human limitations.  When we fear the Lord our eyes are upon the Lord, Who is in heaven, ruling and reigning, sovereign and in charge, working all circumstances for our good according to His eternal purpose (Romans 8:28). 
 
The fruit of the fear of the Lord is love that conquers all, joy beyond words to express, and a peace that is truly beyond our understanding.  Let us sincerely enter into the fear of the Lord and watch His sovereign power be manifested in our midst. 
 
Pastor Ray Bentley