Deuteronomy 3:21-22 – And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing. You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’

THEME OF THE DAY: OVERCOMING OUR MANY FEARS. We are fearful people. We were created to be fearful people, but when sin entered the world, the wrong type of fear came upon humanity. Originally, the fear God placed upon His choice creation was that of delight, purity, and a healthy reverence for Him. It beautified the heart and mind of Adam and Eve. It was the basis of love and enabled them to walk with God in child-like faith and reliance. But then sin . . . then the devil comes and gets Eve to question God’s Word and goodness (Genesis 3:1-7). Gone is this healthy fear. Now born into every human being is what characterized our first parents after the fall – unhealthy fear of God and being afraid in life’s circumstances. We become timid people who are many times afraid of circumstances and of God – “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:8-10).

Now let’s qualify something here. We should be afraid of God when two things are present in our lives. First, if we are not Christians, be very afraid. God is not a heavenly Father to us, but a “consuming fire” who looks upon us with wrath and righteous judgment (Hebrews 12:28-29). There is another situation we should be afraid of God. As His children, if we are living in known sin, refusing to give up sin, all sin, we need to be very afraid. God, even as our Father, is not mocked. He will come with what might be called “severe mercy” and discipline us to get rid of the sin. And if this defines us, we should be afraid of God as His children because we don’t know the level of pain He will place upon us to bring us to repentance and restoration. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But assuming neither of those conditions define us, how may we overcome the many fears that come into our lives as a result of remaining sin in our hearts? How do we overcome fears that our children may not be followers of the Lord Jesus? How do we overcome the worries of life such as finances, security, and safety in a dangerous world? In today’s scripture, there are three helpful truths given to Joshua by Moses to overcome fears of all kinds.

First, remember God’s faithfulness in the past – “Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings.” Recall all the times God delivered us from our fears in the past. Look to His past faithfulness to continue in our present fearful circumstances. He has not or will not change.

Next, rely upon God’s promises to deliver us in present and future fearful situations – “So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing”. Our Lord is not surprised by our fearful circumstances. He actually brought them into our lives for two purposes; to trust His promises, and make us worshippers when we see His faithful love delivering us. Learn to see God in our circumstances, not apart from them. If we do, we will grow in faith and blossom as worshippers of the God who is faithful to His people, not sometimes, but all the time.

Finally, rest on the truth of God’s constant companionship with us as a conqueror for us – “You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.” Friends, God wants us to overcome all our fears. He wants to be glorified by our overcoming them. Fight the temptations to see God as “uninterested” in helping us in our many fears. Just the opposite is true. Yes, deliverance may be delayed, but that is to develop our faith in Him. God with us, God in us, means God for us and He will get the victory over our fears as we learn to rest in His presence. May the Lord of all circumstances, help each of us to overcome the many fears in life through Him who is able and willing to make us overcomers.

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me for looking more at my circumstances instead of You as the God in my circumstances.”

QUOTE: “When fear wants to grip us, pause, and look to the faithfulness in the past, the present and future.”