Scripture: Job 3 v 23 - 25: "Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me."
Job was one of God's favourite people for a very good reason. He could trust Job that no matter what tragedies or losses he suffered, he would never blame God. He was a true believer, and his experiences were written before Moses was born, before he was given the law.
God used Job as an example by allowing Satan to attack everything he had, even his own skin, but not taking his life. Job lost his farms, his children, his health and wealth while his best friends urged him to curse God and die. Through all this he never took his eyes off God's goodness and in the end received back many times what he lost plus having the most beautiful daughters in the land.
However, that which he greatly feared happened.
Fear is the opposite of faith. Or it is having faith in things that are able to destroy you. That's what fortune tellers rely on. They give you really bad news about your future and you believe it because you paid good money to hear it. You fear its arrival until the day it happens.
Back in the 90's a woman my late husband was praying for suddenly got saved one evening. He was so happy to have witnessed her salvation. Early the next morning he was shocked to get a call that she had passed away from a heart attack in the night. The Lord said to me that a false prophecy had killed her.
I asked him if he knew anything about it. He said that a prophet had visited the Church about 3 months before and had prophesied over this woman that someone in her family would die in three months time. It was her.
She believed his lying words. They were more like a fortune teller's curse than a prophecy from God. In other words, a false prophecy. Thankfully, she had been saved in time by God's grace and mercy. The pastor had zero discernment, having allowed this "prophet" to hurt God's lambs.
2 Timothy 1 v 6 - 7: "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
One of the spiritual gifts from the Holy Ghost is the gift of faith. It is such a strong faith that it is unshakable. If God does not give us the spirit of fear, then it comes from Satan. He is the king over all phobias and when he has you in this vice-like grip you are severely tormented.
The Bible says we overcome fear with love. Our love for our Father and Jesus give us strength against our enemy. When we stop letting him torment us by confronting the situation surrounded by the powerful love of God, we can overcome anything.
We are bombarded daily by things in the world that make the future look bleak. What has God said about it? Look up for the Saviour of the world is coming. The Lamb of God is at the doorstep! Jesus is on His way!
I heard a lovely man preach on the Holy of Holies in the Jewish Temple. He spoke about the High Priest, his robes, the bells sewn into the hem of his garment, the rope around his ankle. The High Priest went into the Holy of Holies once a year. He spent a long time getting absolutely ready for his encounter with God.
If he was unacceptable to God he might die behind the curtain and no one would be able to fetch his body for a year. Hence the bells in the hem. If they stopped tinkling for some time, he was probably dead. Hence the rope around the ankle so they could pull him out.
He likened the bells in the hem on the High Priest to the return of our High Priest, Jesus Christ. He is alive forevermore so He doesn't need a rope. But the sound of the bells is getting louder every day of bad news for the world. Jesus is nearing the curtain that separates God from Man. We are about to see Him!!
So do not fear the future unless you do not know Him in a personal relationship. He must be your friend closer than a brother. You need to hear His voice and follow His ways. There is no better Friend than Him.
Those who utterly reject Him, they must fear the future. Not only going through the Great Tribulation here on Earth but the eternal fire that awaits them. Our spirits never die. They live forever, let's just be a hundred percent sure that its in the right place as mistakes cannot be rectified later.
The last half of the Great Tribulation will be the worst time this planet has ever seen. The woes, the plagues, the wrath of the Lamb against mockers, scoffers, hypocrites, atheists, gurus, liars, human traffickers, those who run drug cartels, warmongers, dictators, false preachers, its a long list. We do not want to be here with that kind of terrifying turmoil.
So fear God in a holy way. Truly know what He is able to do. His promises to those who love and obey Him are powerful and unbreakable. And eternal.
The words "Fear Not" appear 365 times in the Bible one for every day of the year. So let's keep fear at bay through love and obedience. Let's help those with phobias to overcome them through salvation and belief. We have been given power, love and a sound mind!
2 Timothy 1 v 6 - 7: "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for making us perfect and able to overcome any tampering the enemy did to us, by Your love and healing power. Lord we fear You in the proper, respectful way, and know You will be with us to the end. Help us to assist those who are fearful of the future, to come into Your Kingdom of peace. In Jesus' name. Amen.