We have been talking about overcoming fear this week, especially the fear which terrorists try to induce within us by planning and carrying out attacks on civilians, on women and children, and on public targets, not military ones.
As I was reading in Proverbs the other day, I came across:
My son, do not lose sight of these–
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.
Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror
or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:21-26
Does the word of God apply to every last situation in life, in every age?!??!! So what we are not to lose sight of — which will allow the LORD to be our confidence, as He will keep our feet from being caught in sudden terror — is sound wisdom. As we all know, the doorway to sound wisdom is the fear of the LORD. When it is the LORD we fear, it cancels out the fear of man. One cannot fear both God and man at the same time.
If I am experiencing the fear of man, that is my giant clue that I have all of the sudden allowed my circumstances to make me forget how great my God is. I have allowed the arm of flesh, really, to rise in magnitude and importance in my heart and mind over and above the magnitude and importance of the Lord my God. Dare I say that if I allow a place for the fear of man to remain within me, then I have elevated man above God — I have allowed a god before God. Thank the Lord that He has poured out His forgiveness on us, when we repent of sin; and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness, even the unrighteousness of idolatry.
Something else interesting I noticed when meditating on this passage: we are not only not to be afraid of sudden terror, but also the ruin of the wicked, when it comes. Sometimes bad things happen in order to ruin the wicked, but we are not to fear a like end for ourselves. Hallelujah!
Wonderful reminder. That scripture is just beautiful and so important to remember.
Warmly,
Kate