And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake." Genesis 26:24
The Lord spoke to Isaac concerning his fear. Even while the Philistines and the famine were making life very difficult for Isaac and his family, the Lord wanted Isaac to know that his circumstances would not prevent God's blessing from falling on him. God wanted to assure Isaac He knew what Isaac faced, and gave him a promise so he would not fear.
Fear is one of the greatest threats we face daily. It can be fear of the unknown, of man, or circumstances of life. The wonderful fact is, throughout the Scriptures, one of the most common reminders God gives is telling us not to fear - "Fear not." Fear causes us take our eyes of God, and place them on the surrounding events. It prevents us from seeing God for who He is, and what He promises. Everyone struggles with fear at different points in their lives, and we all need just that small reminder that God does know what we face daily in our homes and workplaces.
Fear can either make us unstable or make us stronger in our faith depending on our response to God's promises. God told Isaac He would bless Him for Abraham's sake, and now He blesses us because we are His children through Christ. We have all that we need for our daily spiritual needs including the love of an all-knowing, all-powerful God. Let us not fear, but look to the One who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
I really like your point about fear either weakening us or strengthening us depending on our response to God's promises. We have such a tendency to withdraw into ourselves in the face of frightening circumstances when it is all the more important that we be reaching out to God.
ReplyDeleteMore broadly, what is fear? I believe fear is simply us coming face to face with circumstances that expose the inadequacy of our self-sufficiency and self-salvation efforts. Fortunately for us, and in a testament to God's great faithfulness, we use the power of the cross to overcome fear. How reassuring is that!