Life: Travels Through Treacherous Territory

Lions of Fear and of Faith

Although I journey through the land of lions 

I fear not, for I travel in the company of the Great Lion

Is fear a present darkness

or the absence of light,

a dwelling in shadow  

Or is fear merely

the absence of faith,

an inability clearly to see

This I know; it is impossible

to be in faith and in fear
at the same moment

Fearlessness blossoms in His light

Here fear is dried up and withers,

then digs it’s own grave and dies

- A.B. Seal

How Peace Exists In Turmoil:

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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.
- Isaiah 41:10
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Fearful Encounters with the Glory of Christ

Have you ever noticed the numerous accounts of people in the Gospels being "afraid" or "filled with great fear" at the manifestations of the glory of Jesus? I'm finding this quite frequently in my reading of the Gospels, here are a few examples from the Gospel of Luke alone:

Luke 5:8-10
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

Luke 7:14-16
Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!"

Luke 8:25
He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?"

Luke 8:35-27
Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.

Luke 9:34-35
As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!"

Trust: The Antidote for Fear

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

A canopy of grace envelops those who find the Lord to be their light, their salvation, and their stronghold. This is a firm foundation for those in the midst of storms. The author of this Psalm, David, was very familiar with intense storms. Few situations in this world are as intense and fearful as that which David endured. Consider his predicament, running and hiding from an entire army bent only on finding and killing him.

Psalm 27:3
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

Psalm 27:5
For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

Three reasons David would not fear:
1) He will hide me in His shelter
2) He will conceal me under His tent
3) He will lift me high upon a rock

The Lord is a solid rock foundation upon which we may stand resolutely in the face of the storms of this life. The Lord is our hiding place.

David preaches to himself and to us in verse 14.

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!