Back about twenty years ago, I was visiting a little church in Garland, Texas. I would usually take a seat in the back, but on this Sunday morning I noticed another young man about my age sitting across the aisle. There was something peculiar about him. He was trembling and sweating profusely! His face had the look of sheer terror!
Now don't get me wrong. There is a thing known as "Holy fear" and it's not necessarily a bad thing, but it should lead to Godly sorrow that should lead to sincere repentance. What this man was going through was clearly a tormenting type fear, and I said a silent prayer for him that day. Yes, there is a good kind of fear that keeps you alive! For example, the type of fear when you are working with high voltage or heavy machinery such as chainsaws - this is a good Fear. The Holy fear would certainly fall into this category.
If you want true freedom from tormenting fears and worries. Here, is a recipe that will surely do the trick.
Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
This is the key! What have you got your mind on all day long? Is it on some cool, secular pop song that just wants to replay in your head over and over again? Or on the wild, action movie you watched last night?
This is the key! What have you got your mind on all day long? Is it on some cool, secular pop song that just wants to replay in your head over and over again? Or on the wild, action movie you watched last night?
Joshua was commanded ~"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Joshua 1:8
Personally, I think this was also the key to David's fearlessness. The youthful years he spent in isolation meditating on God and his word and watching his father's sheep on the back wood hillside served him well when the day of adversity came. When the grown men went into hiding the day Goliath raised up his ugly head, the little shepherd boy came running to the battle to meet the ugly giant head on.
Our Lord Jesus himself would rise up early in the morning and go into prayer before he started the day. Mark 1:35
Now if the Lord found it necessary to make this his daily ritual, how much more important is it that we should do it too!
Finally, I will leave you with one last scripture to remember. Paul wrote to his young friend Timothy.
2 Timothy 1:7
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
If you will start to draw near unto the Lord in prayer and be diligent in studying his word, you will quickly see your fears and worries flee from you!
God bless,
By Jerry Latimer
FREEDOM FROM FEAR