Fear Not!

Anyone who has known me for a while knows that I have a fear of bad weather. Even though I grew up in Florida and lived through lots of hurricanes, I still am scared! (In fact, I don’t know that I have ever slept a night through during a hurricane. It was my job to keep the night watch!) Well today, I got to revisit my fears. I had heard that we could have a small thunderstorm or some pop-up showers throughout the day, but what we got was totally different! When Trent came and picked me up for our lunch together, it was only sprinkling. Soon after we headed down the road, it started POURING! Then we ran into Wendy’s (yes, I know, a nice gourmet lunch). The wind was crazy and the rain seemed to be falling harder and harder. Might I add at this point that Wendy’s doesn't have walls, but instead is nothing by windows. So I can see everything that is happening outside. So we stand in line a while and finally order lunch. After we sit down, pray for our meal and start to eat, it starts hailing. At this point I was pretty antsy. When I think of hail, I think of tornadoes. And of course then I think, “of course we picked the restaurant that is all windows!” To make a long story short, when the wind finally died down a little we ran to the truck and headed back to my office. It was then that God started speaking to me. I know that I shouldn't be afraid of bad weather. Trent quotes to me Philippians 4:6-7 all the time when I am scared – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I know this verse well, but don’t live it very well. I was reminded today of a verse I heard last week. “Do not call everything an alliance these people say is an alliance. Do not fear what they fear; do not be terrified. You are to regard only the LORD of Hosts as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be held in awe. Isaiah 8:12-13.” This fear that I have of bad weather doesn't come from God, but from the devil. “For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” 2 Timothy 1:7. I guess you could call this a “bogus fear.” If I truly believe God is who He says He is, there is nothing to fear! This next statement hit me hard – Satan wants the fear that is due God! Satan is working in me to take my focus off God and turn it to fear. “Since the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. So my job is to take “every thought captive” and trust in God, pushing my fears away and lean on God. “He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death” Proverbs 14:26-27. Now, back to the verse in Isaiah I mentioned earlier….only He (God) should be feared. This fear has to do with perspective and position. The idea of who is God and what is my perspective of His nature, power and justice. Then, what is my position in relation to Him…..having a correct response to who God is. Think back to your dad when you were little….this is just an illustration, I know its really bigger than this, but it’s the best way I can think to explain…when daddy told you to do something or not to do something, we knew that we better obey. We had a kind of respect, if you will, because of who he was. If we were disobedient, we would get our judgment. So in fearing God, I am surrendering to Him what is His. So to apply this to my day…instead of getting scared and letting my mind wander off to what possibilities I have to fear, I should have rested in the idea that God is God and He is in control. After it was all over, God had taught me something – I believed God was in control, but I sure didn't act like it. If I truly believed He was in control through it all, why be afraid? I have a control issue….if I am not in control, I be uncomfortable. I couldn't control the weather, nor tell what was coming. So there was nothing I could do. Again, why be afraid? If there was nothing I could do to change or control the situation, why not just rest in God? Instead I spent all my energy stressing about something I could do nothing about. I needed to just take those thoughts captive, take a deep breath, and stand on the fact that God was in control. Not only will this make me feel better, but God will be glorified and I won’t give Satan the position that only God deserves. Remember, Satan wants the fear due only to God….don’t let him have it!!