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The World’s Afraid to Die

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It’s on every corner of the internet, TV, radio, podcast, heck even my Bible app was asking me to wash my hands today… the Coronavirus. I remember when I was a child, everyone talking about mad cow disease, Y2K and the strange weather patterns they called El Nino. As I grew older, the world was discussing bird flu, SARs, gosh I can’t remember the names of all the scary new sicknesses through the years.

Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.

John 14:27

I’m not really here to tell you not to be afraid. God is. However, fear can be motivator for action. Maybe we need to know that we aren’t invincible sometimes. Maybe we need reminders that our old, sick, and vulnerable are not being taken care of as well as they should. There’s really no need for worry of the future or whether you and your loved ones will get sick or how this sickness will progress as we learn more about it. Your worry will do nothing. However, if you use the scariness of the situation to pull you into the thick of loving others, if it makes you aware that the world is afraid and many are drowning in storms on a sea of hopelessness without a rock to stand, then maybe all this can be made purposeful.

I was going to repeat my post called “Fear is a Liar,” and you can read that too as it could apply as well in some ways. Yet, I didn’t think it really encompassed this sort of situation where there is a fear about a real and present danger.

If you’re younger than 80 and in fairly good health, you’ll probably be fine and suffer no worse than you would with a flu, according to various sources. But, what if you are older, have bad health, or, like most of us, have loved ones that could be vulnerable? You need to know you have the Rock of Yahweh. He’s here today, like He was here yesterday, and will be here tomorrow. In fact, He exists outside of time itself, so He’s already there in tomorrow before you.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you where you go.

Joshua 1:9

For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13

There are those of us who have already been affected either ourselves, our loved ones, or simply being quarantined and locked down, our normal lives disrupted. I want you to know that God is by your side, arm around your back, waiting for you to speak to Him your fears, to let Him handle them, so you can be the disciple and priest (all Children of God are His priests!) who loves others and brings them hope and comfort.

You were made for such times as this. It’s no accident you were born in the period you were, so rise, rise up on the faith and hope of God. With Him, you are enough to walk through this fire of fear and chaos on behalf of the many who cannot.

The world needs you because there are many who are unbelievers or are weak of faith, and they are awash in this storm. Stand on the Rock, and call them to the firm place beside you.

God bless! May He heal, comfort, and protect you all.

Flora & Fauna

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The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. – Genesis 2:15

One of the first responsibilities humanity had was to take care of the environment.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

Something to remember is that every time someone is to be a leader or in a dominant position in the Bible, their utmost task is to serve those in submission to them (See my post “The Christian Dirty Word – Submission”). We are, as those in dominion over all of nature, responsible for the environment just as it’s the responsibility of anyone given any gift to use it for the good of God’s kingdom.

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. – Proverbs 12:10

But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. – Job 12:7-10

You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain. – Deuteronomy 25:4

For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. – Exodus 23:10-11

When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you? – Deuteronomy 20:19

There are numerous instances in the Bible where God shows concern over the plants and animals and our treatment of them. We were made stewards of the world, and this includes the environment. The world is not ours. It’s still God’s. One thing I know, it’s if anyone loans you something, you should return it in the same condition or better. If you read Matthew 25:14-30, you’ll learn that when God gives you gifts, He gives them to you for the prosperity of His kingdom.

To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. -Matthew 25:29

We are made to tend God’s massive garden called Earth. If it’s within our power to take care of it in any way, it’s our duty to do so.

Fear is a Liar

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I confess that I once believed fear and the things it would tell me in the darkness.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

It says “do not fear” hundreds of times in the Bible, one of God’s most frequently repeated commands.

Almost every person spoken of in the Bible faced terrible fear, and it’s very possible even Jesus was overwhelmed with this feeling in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

When Jesus says that He is troubled, that is the Greek word ἀδημονέω, which can be translated as heavy, feel fear, or lack courage.

Why would the Bible say multiple times that we should not fear, and then show Jesus, a perfect being, as fearful? Well, probably it’s because God understands that most of us will be afraid when facing pain or possible death. The point is not let fear determine our actions nor let it incapacitate us. Jesus showed us what to do when afraid. He turned to the Father and prayed, nonstop. He asked for companionship with fellow believers. Sometimes, though, we are alone in our darkest hour, like Jesus was, and others don’t stand by our side. In that case, let there be no doubt that we need no companionship more than the one with Father God. He will never leave your side.

“Do not fear” is not a command to switch our fears off like a light switch, which is impossible. It’s a comforting phrase to remind us that God is in control always.

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3

When, not if, I am afraid, I will trust you God. All of us will be afraid at some point. What will you do with it?

Fear is spoken of often in the Word because it is a universal spiritual battle.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear is not from God. It has touched us all in some form, and it is very powerful. However, it’s important to remember that God is more powerful, and with God, you are more powerful.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22

“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” Psalm 118:6-7

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Proverbs 29:25

We could go on all day with these verses, but I think you get the point. Let me tell you a more personal story.

I’ve dealt with anxiety all my life. I didn’t always understand why I would feel so uncomfortable going to the store or going to tae kwon do classes I’d been going to for years. I didn’t always get that my chronic nightmares were a product of unrecognized emotions. I just avoided things that made it happen when I could. One night as a child, God planted a seed in me that I needed later.

I was relaxing in my safe bedroom when I became unreasonably afraid. Now that I look back, I’m not sure if I just got the creeps for some reason or if it was an anxiety attack. All I know is that I went on high alert, and I couldn’t move from my spot to tell anyone. All I could do was whisper to God from underneath my blankets. So, I did, and I sang to Him for at least an hour.

Slowly at first, the invisible claws that squeezed my heart in fear released until they disappeared. When I say I became unafraid that night, I don’t mean that I simply felt normal again. I felt so without fear, brave, confident in my safety that I was literally smiling as I finally fell asleep.

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.
“It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them:
“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out,
“Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying,
“Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:22-33

Note that Peter said, “tell me to come to you on the water.” He asked for God to help him face his fear. He wanted to experience the fear with God at his side.

Anytime I’ve felt afraid again or anxious in anyway, I try to make it a point to face the fear. Sometimes, I’m unsuccessful. However, I know that the feeling can be overcome with God’s strength, so I pray to myself or aloud in that moment.

Never let fear be the reason you do or don’t do something. Be smart. The emotion is there as a warning signal that there “might” be danger. Don’t walk into a fire or jump off a building because you aren’t acting on fear, obviously. However, if you feel fear when the future is uncertain, don’t act on that fear. The fear will build a wall to block life out. Tear down those bricks; hide under a blanket and say a prayer. Focus your sights on God. Then, come on out and face the world.

God’s got you.

*This article is dedicated to Erin Vincent, a friend who is currently undergoing her own “walk on water” situation.*

Sources other than the Bible:
https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/christian-trends/what-gideon-in-the-bible-can-teach-you-about-overcoming-fear.html
https://biblicalwoman.com/overcoming-stronghold-fear/
https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/debbie-mcdaniel/33-verses-to-remind-us–we-do-not-have-to-fear.html