should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.” There is no bondage of fear intended for the believer (Rom. 8:15). In II Timothy 1:7 we see that God has made provision for us to be liberated and found absolutely fear less through trusting Him. The fear of the Lord, spoken of in the Old Testament, is an alto gether different matter. This means piety, godly trust or reverential fear (Psalm 111:10; Prov. 1:7). Today the world is in the very foreshadowing of the times spoken of in Luke 21:26. Here the Saviour tells about Jerusalem which will be trodden down of the Gentiles. Notice what verse 25 tells us, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with per plexity; the sea and the waves roar ing; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” We read here of “men fainting” ; the word in the original suggests expiring or dying. The rea son is fear, that which is so devas tating to mental health. A minister of the Gospel testified, “I remember once lying in bed, and taking fright. I heard my own heart beat, but I thought it was someone knocking at the door. I rose and opened the door more than once be fore I discovered that the sound was in my own breast.” Yes, fear is grip ping and compelling. It is devastat ing and overpowering. If you are living in the midst of fears, remem ber, as a believer, Christ has con quered all fear for you. If you are not a believer, trust Him and you will not be afraid or ashamed for time and eternity. * * * If you aim at heaven, you'll get earth thrown In; while if you aim at earth, you'll get neither one. * * * 4
ture tells us that Israel, God’s peo ple, in unbelief will fear in the morning and at night. They will say, “Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see” (Deut. 28:66-67). During Hitler’s rampages, perse cutions and diabolical oppressions, Eddie Cantor, at a Hollywood ban quet, declared, “For the first time in our existence here in America we Jews are afraid. It could happen here.” In Psalms 14:5 we see that fear comes from a lack of trust in God, or from a lack of a desire to ac knowledge the Lord at all. “There were they in great fear.” This is a natural sequence from the first verse telling us that “The fool has said in his heart, There is no God.” When man comes to this pitiful state, he is left to all kinds of fears and fore bodings. Atheism brings fear which can be actual or merely imagined. In Psalms 53:5 we read, “There were they in great fear where no fear was.” Without question the greatest fear which grips mankind is that of death. Christ died on Calvary that He might vanquish death and Satan. For this reason believers are freed from the fear of death. Those who live during the Great Tribulation will experience unprecedented fear. The Lord will arise to shake terribly the earth. We read in Revelation 11:11 and 18:10 about God’s com plete judgment on mystery Babylon. While the world is gripped with fears, listen to the believer’s testi mony from Psalms 27:1-3: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker