2 Chronicles 20:3 "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."
Jehoshaphat received a bad report concerning a multitude of enemy forces and his first response was fear. This is understandable for the coalition of enemy forces aligned against him were quite formidable.
Centuries later our immediate response to difficult circumstances has not changed. When we receive a bad report or face a multitude of problems (when we don’t know what to do) we usually respond with fear. Impossible situations are never resolved by fear, however, so the first thing we must do when we don’t know what to do is replace fear with faith.
The Bible has two connotations for the word “fear.” One is positive, reflecting a healthy respect for God, and it is foundational to spiritual wisdom:
Psalms 111:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
-This positive fear of God results in blessings:
Psalms 112:1 "Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments."
-Those who fear God are protected from evil:
Psalms 34:7 "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them."
Psalms 145:19 "He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; he also will hear their cry and save them."
Proverbs 14:26 "In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge."
-Those who fear God know no want:
Psalms 34:9 "Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him."
-There is a tremendous spiritual heritage for those who fear the Lord. They receive mercy, salvation, and compassion from God:
Psalms 61:5 "For You, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
Psalms 103:11 "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him."
Psalms 85:9 "Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land."
-The fear of the Lord is the fountain of spiritual life:
Proverbs 14:27 "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death."
-The fear of the Lord is a positive emotion that enables you to reject evil:
Proverbs 16:6 "In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil."
The other Biblical connotation for the word “fear” is negative. This type of fear first appeared as a result of sin when Adam and Eve were ashamed and fearfully hid themselves from God’s presence. Shame over the past and fear of the future were the two responses emanating from man’s fall into sin and are the root of all other negative emotions. This type of fear is tormenting:
1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
When you are “perfect in love,” you will not fear because you know there is no circumstance of life that can separate you from God’s love. The Apostle Paul declared:
Romans 8:35; 38-40 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. "
-Fear is spiritual incarceration:
Romans 8:15 "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
-Fear is a snare concealed in the tangle of negative circumstances of our lives as an animal trap is concealed in tall grass:
Proverbs 29:25 "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe."
Like a snare, the trap of fear springs open to catch the prey and render it immobile.
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