Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Fear is a funny thing that manifests itself in weird ways. Currently, we are buying up every isle in grocery stores, from milk, bread to toilet paper. For the most part in our culture we can basically control the outcome of most the things that happen to us. But when the unknown happens and we enter into times of uncertainty we become overcome with a sense of fear. Lack of control is so outside of our normal life as Americans. We are routine people; we get up every morning, take the same route to work, put in our time, head home and continue our evening routines. With the COVID-19 virus we have now came to a full stop. Should we respond in fear? Should we continue to walk with uncertainty when we now realize everything could change tomorrow?
We do understand theologically that a right type of fear of God is good. We should have a reverent fear of God even as Christians. We can feel the fear that Isaiah feels as we read Isaiah 6. Isaiah comes to the point of fear because he is a sinner before a Holy God crying out, “Woe is me! For I am lost: for I am a man of unclean lips: and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Isaiah 6:5 Isaiah had a healthy fear of God, the prophet understood his state before the Holy God and he was in a place he could not stand. This is the same fear we should have toward our God. He is Holy, our God will not tolerate sinners in His presence.
If I have learned anything from living a week in a world during a worldwide pandemic is that we have misplaced fear. Should we be concerned about the COVID-19 virus, sure we should, we should be wise in what we do, we should love our neighbor. But should we fear the COVID-19 virus, absolutely not. Whether it is this virus or whether it is something else there will always be pandemics, calamities, natural disasters, or economic crashes yet our God reigns over all. Even though life is uncertain there is one thing that is certain, we will all stand before the Lord.
However, we have this text later in the Book of Isaiah that says “Fear not, for I am with you…” How do we marry these two things? Isaiah starts the book in fear of God but by the end of the book is told not to fear. So what is the thing that takes us from fear to fear not? The love of God manifested in Jesus. The expression of God’s love is seen when He poured out His wrath on Jesus at Calvary, the hatred of sin and love for the sinner put on full display.
Should we fear God? Yes, we should, we should have a reverent healthy fear of God because of who He is. We should feel a tremble in our soul when we read the Scriptures about the times when God’s holiness was put on display, when we see how our God deals with sin. But, this world should give us no reason to fear! Our God is the hand that turns the pages of time, He exists outside of time but entered into our time as God put on flesh. Jesus, the name above every name, for there is salvation in no one else, no name under heaven or above but in the name Jesus can we be saved. Salvation through Christ alone will extinguish all fear, even in that Day of Judgment because we will not stand in our unworthy work but in the finished work of Jesus, thanks be to God! Fear of this world is a tool of Satan to use in attempt to weaken our faith. So let us cast away all fear of these things and trust our good God in the midst of this pandemic and whatever will come next, for His glory.
A good word from Jonathan Edwards as we walk through life:
“In all your course, walk with God and follow Christ as a little, poor, helpless child, taking hold of Christ's hand, keeping your eye on the mark of the wounds on his hands and side, whence came the blood that cleanses you from sin and hiding your nakedness under the skirt of the white shining robe of his righteousness.”
Fear or Faith
Fear or Faith
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Fear is a funny thing that manifests itself in weird ways. Currently, we are buying up every isle in grocery stores, from milk, bread to toilet paper. For the most part in our culture we can basically control the outcome of most the things that happen to us. But when the unknown happens and we enter into times of uncertainty we become overcome with a sense of fear. Lack of control is so outside of our normal life as Americans. We are routine people; we get up every morning, take the same route to work, put in our time, head home and continue our evening routines. With the COVID-19 virus we have now came to a full stop. Should we respond in fear? Should we continue to walk with uncertainty when we now realize everything could change tomorrow?
We do understand theologically that a right type of fear of God is good. We should have a reverent fear of God even as Christians. We can feel the fear that Isaiah feels as we read Isaiah 6. Isaiah comes to the point of fear because he is a sinner before a Holy God crying out, “Woe is me! For I am lost: for I am a man of unclean lips: and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Isaiah 6:5 Isaiah had a healthy fear of God, the prophet understood his state before the Holy God and he was in a place he could not stand. This is the same fear we should have toward our God. He is Holy, our God will not tolerate sinners in His presence.
If I have learned anything from living a week in a world during a worldwide pandemic is that we have misplaced fear. Should we be concerned about the COVID-19 virus, sure we should, we should be wise in what we do, we should love our neighbor. But should we fear the COVID-19 virus, absolutely not. Whether it is this virus or whether it is something else there will always be pandemics, calamities, natural disasters, or economic crashes yet our God reigns over all. Even though life is uncertain there is one thing that is certain, we will all stand before the Lord.
However, we have this text later in the Book of Isaiah that says “Fear not, for I am with you…” How do we marry these two things? Isaiah starts the book in fear of God but by the end of the book is told not to fear. So what is the thing that takes us from fear to fear not? The love of God manifested in Jesus. The expression of God’s love is seen when He poured out His wrath on Jesus at Calvary, the hatred of sin and love for the sinner put on full display.
Should we fear God? Yes, we should, we should have a reverent healthy fear of God because of who He is. We should feel a tremble in our soul when we read the Scriptures about the times when God’s holiness was put on display, when we see how our God deals with sin. But, this world should give us no reason to fear! Our God is the hand that turns the pages of time, He exists outside of time but entered into our time as God put on flesh. Jesus, the name above every name, for there is salvation in no one else, no name under heaven or above but in the name Jesus can we be saved. Salvation through Christ alone will extinguish all fear, even in that Day of Judgment because we will not stand in our unworthy work but in the finished work of Jesus, thanks be to God! Fear of this world is a tool of Satan to use in attempt to weaken our faith. So let us cast away all fear of these things and trust our good God in the midst of this pandemic and whatever will come next, for His glory.
A good word from Jonathan Edwards as we walk through life:
“In all your course, walk with God and follow Christ as a little, poor, helpless child, taking hold of Christ's hand, keeping your eye on the mark of the wounds on his hands and side, whence came the blood that cleanses you from sin and hiding your nakedness under the skirt of the white shining robe of his righteousness.”
-Jonathan Edwards