The Fear Factor is a competition reality series in which contestants must decide if they have the guts and determination to face their fears. Contestants that battles each other in extreme stunts.
All of us have fears. Some of us are fearful of being in the dark. Some fear loneliness or suffering, or failure or death. Some people have a fear of spiders, snakes, and closed spaces.
Fear will always be with us, but it should never be allowed to control us, nor control our behavior or our actions. Fear is one of our emotions, just as hunger, love, and hate. Even animals experience fear.
The Bible talks about fear. The word fear in mentioned in the Bible over 266 times and the word afraid is mentioned over 223 times. The first time fear is mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 3:10 and the last time is Revelation 19:5.
I know that there are a lot going on in the world today and it’s causing some of us to be fearful, but please don’t be. It’s the uncertainty that is causing the uneasiness, but no one knows the future. Every minute, of the hour, of the day, each day is unknown to us. Do we need to be concern? Absolutely so, but not fearful.
We can’t control anything. No, not nothing, but God controls all things. Nothing ever happens to us or in this world, that God didn’t allow to happen. Nothing happens without God’s permission. Absolutely nothing!
In 2 Kings 6, the king of Syria sent his army to Dotham to capture Elisha. That next morning, Elisha’s servant got up and went outside, there were the army, with horses and chariots, everywhere. A spirit of fear gripped the servant and he cried out to Elisha. Elisha simply told him, not to worry, “for our army is bigger that theirs”, and he prayed for God to open his servant’s eyes, so that he could see. The Lord, opened his eyes so that he could see and he saw, horses of fire and chariots of fire, everywhere.
Likewise, as children of God, those on our side are far more, than those on the other side, the dark side.
God is the Lord of Hosts. He is the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. He is Jehovah-Sabaoth. God is the refuge for his people and the conqueror of nations. God commands a heavenly host, spirits that battle the evil that threatens us everyday. God shows us his power, by sending members of His host (his heavenly army), to empower us, to comfort us, to strengthen us, and to encourage us, in every situation and problem, that confronts us.
No, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know who holds our future.
