“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”John 14:27
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
It seems that we are all afraid of something, or many things, today. We fear that we might get the virus, we fear that we might lose our job, we fear that we might not have enough money to send our kids to college, we fear that we might lose our freedoms, and we fear death.
It’s interesting that the command most often given in the Bible is not “love others” but “fear not.” God knows how prone we are to be afraid. Fear makes us anxious, worried, troubled and sometimes paralyzes us. That is the reason God tells us again and again to “fear not”, “be not afraid”, “be not anxious”. I have learned and continue to learn that when I am afraid, I need to see what the Scriptures says about my fear. For instance:
- When I fear I might be cancelled for speaking up for what is right, I need to check out Mark 13:11.
- When I fear I won’t have enough money to pay my bills or buy what I need, I should read Matthew 6:25-33.
- When I fear death I need to read again Psalm 23:4 and John 8:51.
I also need to remember that God has never promised me that I will not get a virus or some other illness. But he has promised to give me wisdom to do what I can do about it. I don’t have to be paralyzed by fear. I can go to a doctor, take medicine, wear a mask, or whatever keeps me as healthy as possible. Then trust that I am in God’s hands.
If I speak out (as I should!) about what is right and what is wrong, then I can prepare myself by having my facts straight and knowing what I stand for. I can pray for courage and then trust God with the results.
If I am worried about not having enough money for my necessities, then I look for ways to make money by working and saving the money I have. I don’t just sit and expect God to provide for me through the government.
If I am afraid of death, I need to prepare for it, because it will surely come. I know the Lord will come for me soon (I’m 91 years old) and I have been putting my affairs in order
and praying that God will prepare me to die to his glory. I am not afraid of death because I know I will never see death (John 8:51) and I will be with my Lord, but I admit that I am afraid of the process of dying. I just hope it won’t be from this stupid virus!
In 1957 and 1958, my husband Bob and I lived in London where we had the amazing opportunity to go to Westminster Chapel on Sundays and hear Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preach. I will never forget it. But earlier than that, in 1951 during a time of terrible political fear and unrest in England, like we face today in America, Lloyd-Jones preached a series of sermons on John 14:1-12. It later became a book called LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED. I recommend it to you during these days when fear is so prevalent. I have read it more than once and have given it to my children and many others.
“Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14:27
Thank you Rosemary. The fear I see regularly is heartbreaking. It is a regular focus of my prayers. I really appreciate the book recommendation.
ReplyDeleteThank you again Rosemary. Yes indeed. Fear is everywhere! Especially of coronavirus! Death is coming for sure. We need to know what we believe! Beth.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful, encouraging word! The reality is, there are many things to fear. But God gives us Himself to cling to and the promises of His presence during fearful times. Thank you, Rosemary, for sharing your thoughts with us. Thank you for wanting to pass on to us what we will need as we occupy until He comes. Thank you for showing us how to remain strong as our lives ebb. Thank you for reminding us of the glory to come. Thank you, too, for showing us the side of you that fears, yet clings to the one who is in charge and measures every pain. It is glory to know that while we will certainly die, we won't see it - but will see Him who will be with us in the journey through the shadow, just as He has been with us through the journey of life - because we are His.
ReplyDeleteI see a word study on "fear not" in my future, since anxiety is (one of) my besetting sin(s). Philippians 4:4-7 is my anchor text when anxiety "rocks my boat," as I remember that I am commanded NOT to be anxious about anything!--but to pray in all things. I haven't been fearful about the coronavirus, but certainly would like, and am praying, that my husband and I may get the vaccine SOON!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear from you, Judy. If you haven't read Lloyd-Jones' book, do so. It has helped me for years as I have read it (and recommended it) a number of times. You might remember my putting it on the BSF booklist years ago.
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