YOU HAVE NO REASON TO FEAR
TEXT:
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1st John chapter 4 verse 18, King James Version).
Fear is an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by the anticipation of evil or danger. A man exercises fear because for some reasons, he anticipates danger in one area of his life or another. For instance, in Job chapter 3 verse 25, it's apparent that Job at some point in his life had anticipated evil coming upon him and his household. Hear him:
"For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me."
I've said times without numbers that life is spiritual. A man is the product of his thoughts. If you spend your time thinking thoughts of evil, you'll have evil in return. The reverse is obviously the case.
"As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.", says Proverbs chapter 23 verse 7.
My counsel to us in the face of the dire situation in our country today is not to give in to fear.
You have to understand that your life moves in the direction of your dominant thoughts. Of course, you will reap emotions based on those things on which you focus your attention in life. If you are to see life, you're going to have to think of things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, praiseworthy, and of good report. (see Philippians chapter 4 verse 8). The child of God should never be seen to entertain fear because according to the Scripture reading for today, "perfect love casteth out fear". The reason for this is that in Christ we are immersed in the "perfect love" of God, strong enough to cast out fear from our lives. Resolve to see God's goodness in the midst of whatever you may be going through in life.
Again, from the Scripture reading for today, fear is said to be a torment. How true this is! Fear is not of God but of the devil. God's dealing with man is essentially in love as opposed to fear. Fear is a situation that is devoid of the soothing comfort of God's presence in a man's life.
Fear results from giving attention to the devil's side of the story. With God on our side, we should have no business giving the devil's side of the story a thought. This was the bane of the 10 spies in the Book of Numbers chapter 13. They chose to believe in the devil rather than believing God. They said,
"We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." (Numbers chapter 13 verse 31). The Bible called this an "evil report".
Fear is basically faith in the devil. When you are afraid that something will happen, it means that you believe it will happen. Fear is having more faith in the devil's ability over your life than you have in God's ability to save, bless and to keep you. This shouldn't be so with us as children of God because we have God on our side.
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans chapter 8 verse 31).
PRAYER:
God is with me! He deals with me in perfect love. I have no reason therefore to exercise fear, in Jesus name.