Fear Not

Those who follow my blogs know that each blog I write was birthed from a lesson that I learned in my daily journey with God. Sunday night, God allowed me to take yet another journey, giving further proof that no matter what the enemy throws at us, our God is always there for us, and He is faithful to His Word.

It was around 11:30 p.m. when I turned in for the night only to feel a sudden pounding in my head and a weird vibration throughout my body. Initially, I attributed it to being tired, but then it became so intense that I decided to take my blood pressure. The dangerously high reading shocked me, because I had never experienced pressure that high.

Fear immediately took ahold of me as all kinds of horrible thoughts coursed through my mind. Should I rush to the hospital? Then I heard God gently speak into my spirit, “This is an attack from the enemy. Pray and take the authority that I have given you, for Satan is a defeated foe.”

Oh, the joy that comes in trusting God. For when we dwell in the shelter of the Most High, we abide in the shadow of the Almighty. For He is our refuge and our fortress, our God, in whom we trust. He will deliver us from the snare of the fowler. He covers us with His pinions, and under His wings we find refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. We need not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow sent by day, because when we make the Lord our refuge and dwelling place, no evil shall overtake us (Psalm 91:1-10).

I prayed until 5:30 a.m. and fell asleep until I awoke at 7:30 a.m. God then gave me explicit instructions which included more prayer and a day of fasting. Around 10:30 a.m. I noticed the symptoms were gone, so I took my blood pressure and found it completely normal. As a result of my many hours in prayer and seeking God, I saw the fruit of my travail (Isaiah 53:11). And it was during prayer and fasting, that the Holy Spirit revealed an important truth about fear.

Satan uses fear to manipulate, terrorize, and defeat God’s people. But more importantly, fear can hit us suddenly and unexpectedly like a freight train. That is why we are told to be sober and vigilant, because our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8).

We live in uncertain times, requiring even more vigilance. Our government is not functioning as it should. We are hyper-vigilant because of continual acts of home-grown and global terrorism.  Concerns and fears grow each day over a warming earth, unparalleled destructive weather, rumors of wars, healthcare, our children and grandchildren’s futures, finances, job security, and the security of our Constitutional rights and our nation.

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines fear as anxiety caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous. However, the Word of God indicates two types of fear.

The first type of fear is a reverential respect and awe of God that recognizes and honors His power and glory. “Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears (honors) the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments (Psalm 112). He will bless those who fear (honor) the LORD, the small together with the great (Psalm 115:13).

The second type of fear is the fear that Satan brings to our lives to torment and create doubt and unbelief. But the LORD tells us, “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, fear not; behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you’” (Isaiah 35:4). Hallelujah!

Our response to fear begins in the brain, which then causes bodily changes that prepare us to fight or flee. The brain becomes hyperalert. The pupils and bronchi dilate and breathing accelerates. Heart rate and blood pressure rise. This reaction is normal and expected if we are truly facing danger. But if it is a perceived danger or threat that does not exist, our body will still react in the same way.

According to “Medical News Today,” “anxiety is snowballing in the United States.” Research shows that anti-anxiety medication is on the rise. More than one in five American adults take medications for anxiety and depression. And 1 in 10 children suffer from anxiety or depression, as stated in the April 2018 report by “Science Daily.”

If we are living in a constant state of fear and anxiety, that reaction that should help us in a moment of danger will instead cause harm to our bodies. For fear and anxiety have the potential to weaken the immune system and cause cardiovascular damage, hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and even decreased fertility, just to name a few. That is why God’s Word warns us that what we fear will come upon us and that is exactly what the enemy of our soul wants to accomplish.

Satan’s goal is to destroy us with fear. I can attest to having made some wrong decisions that were life-altering and not for the good, because fear was the driving force. I had failed to prayerfully consult with God before making those decisions.

God’s Word states 365 admonitions not to fear, one for each day of the year. Therefore, we know that tormenting fear is not of God but is of Satan. “So, we cast all our anxieties on Him, because He cares for us.” For we did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but we have received the Spirit of adoption as sons and daughters who cry “Abba! Father!” (I Peter 5:7; Romans 8:15).

Did you catch that? There is a spirit of slavery that wants us to live in constant fear. And what is slavery? Slavery is bondage. What does the Word tell us about bondage? Christ set us free from bondage; therefore, we are to stand firm and not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1).

We must never forget the power and authority that was given to us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and remember that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). Therefore, when we submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7).

PRAYER: FATHER,Your Word tells me, “Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; surely, I will help you. Surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Help me to always pray for discernment to know the difference between fear that is of the enemy and fear that gives a warning to flee or take appropriate action. Help me to obey your command to “fear not,” because my security and future rest in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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