Not Haunted By Apprehension

The future and the unknown can be daunting. For that matter, this present day and its uncertainty can overwhelm us. If we look around we do not see much in which to hope. Looking with temporal eyes will cause fear almost every time. Fear comes in all sizes and shapes and can be triggered by almost anything.

Some fear is good; fear can keep us safe from physical harm. Parental fear can keep us on the right path, providing we have parents worthy of fearing. Fear can keep us from doing foolish things.

But fear can cause us to make emotional and unsound decisions. Whenever you hear Congress saying, “We have to do something” then grab your gun and wallet because you’re about to get robbed. Fear causes our elected officials to do many a foolish thing. Their fear is being castigated by the press, not being with the “in-crowd” in Washington, or maybe even actually fearing not being re-elected, although that fear seems to be subsiding in most.

The blood-bought, born-again Christian should live his or her life fearlessly of worldly things. Many a Christian has quoted the following verse but too few actually live it:

    “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Fear can only be overcome by faith and the strength of that overcoming faith depends upon in what or whom you place that faith. Psalm 27 is titled “An Exuberant Declaration of Faith” and David begins this psalm with two important questions:

    “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

We could do a faith test on ourselves to see where we stand. We could ask, “If the Lord is my light and my salvation, then whom shall I fear? If the Lord is the strength of my life, then of whom shall I be afraid?”

I use the “if-then” because it causes me to critically think through situations. You can actually apply logic to your faith in Christ. If Jesus is who the Bible says He is, and He is, then whom or what is there in this life for me to fear?

Let me challenge you to not only memorize the following Scripture passage, but also to put yourself out front to make it true in your life:

    “I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” (Psalm 118:5-9)

The writer of the Book of Hebrews quoted from this passage when he closed this important letter, exhorting the Hebrew Christians to live their lives morally:

    “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Commenting on this passage, Oswald Chambers writes:

    My say-so is to be built on God’s say-so. God says – “I will never leave you,” then I can with good courage say – “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear – ” I will not be haunted by apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God’s say-so. I will be full of courage, like a child “bucking himself up” to reach the standard his father wants. Faith in many a one falters when the apprehensions come, they forget the meaning of God’s say-so, forget to take a deep breath spiritually. The only way to get the dread taken out of us is to listen to God’s say-so.

For me to not be haunted by apprehension when the temptation to be afraid comes, I must have eternal eyes that look up to Heaven. For if I have temporal eyes that look around, then I will surely succumb to my fears.

Lord, give me eternal eyes and never lose sight of You.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2012 David Jeffers

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