ENTERTAIN NO FEAR

The word of God describes Job, “…blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.  Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.” (Job 1:1-3) Job had it all. Above all, he was indeed a man of God. He was straight with God but he was not sure of his children’s walk with God. As a result of him not being sure about his children’s walk with God, he would sanctify them and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all making a statement, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” (Job 1:4-5)

After Satan was allowed by God to attack Job, he lost his properties, he lost all his children and his health was attacked. By virtue of all his adversities, he deplored his birth by cursing the day of his birth. On top of it all, Job gave a testimony, “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.” (Job 3:25-26) What could have been the fear of Job which eventually came upon him? Was it the fear of not having destruction of properties? Could it have been the fear of not having all his children die together? The bottom line of it is that Job was nursing fear and what he feared eventually found him.

Fear is not of God; fear is the initiation of Satan. Whenever fear rises in the life of man, faith will sink. Fear and faith does not complement each other. What could have happened to Job to be exercising great fear? Not knowing the extent of God’s protective covering over the affairs of our life or over the areas of our concern will possibly expose us to fear and not faith. Clearly God is not pleased without faith. Unfortunately Satan knew the extent of God’s covering over Job when he mentioned that God had made a hedge around him, around his household and around all that he has on every side. (Job 1:10) When God makes you to be impenetrable but you make yourself penetrable, Satan will have no choice but to attempt dressing you up. The Psalmist states, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20)  It is extremely important to know that God is mindful of us. He visits us and He crowns us with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:4-5)

Know who you are and disallow compelling forces which cause great fear in man.
Whenever the compelling force in your life is positively in line with the word of God, the end result will be nothing but a positive and blessed result. However, when a compelling force in your life is negative and not in line with the word of God, you are set for a negative and complicating result. Constantly keep it mind that the most active and most frequent compelling forces that often complicates the life of man is that of fear. The story of King Saul depicts exactly what it is to allow a negative compelling force, such as fear, to have a place in our life. King Saul was the first king of the children of Israel. He was a king anointed by God for God’s people. He had God on his side along with Samuel in place for him as God’s mouthpiece. What else could a man need but to fully rest and trust on God? Despite King Saul’s position, he could not function effectively without fear.

At a time of war with the prominent enemy of the children of Israel, he allowed fear to take over as a compelling force that led him to his complicating decision. King Saul was commanded by Samuel to wait for seven days until Samuel arrived to offer the burnt offering before his battle with the Philistines. “Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.  So Saul said, ’Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.’ And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came…” (1 Samuel 13:8-10) Saul made the wrong move because he could not travail in waiting. Samuel came as promised the same day but not at Saul’s timing. When Samuel asked why King Saul took such a decision, Saul’s response was that, “…when I saw that the people were scattered from me…” (1 Samuel 13:11) Who are you looking up to? Do you look up to God or the people and situations around you? Saul went further in his testimony and stated, “…I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.” Saul succumbed to fear when his people scattered and was compelled to make an unlawful sacrifice. Samuel made it clear that he violated God’s command. Violating God can lead to termination from God. Samuel made it known to Saul, “…the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever but now your kingdom shall not continue…” (1 Samuel 13:13-14) When fear compels, complication prevails. As the year goes on, keep focus on God and you shall not be in place for fear but faith.

FAITH CAPSULE
Fear and faith does not complement each other.