Fear Only God!

The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said:

"Do not call conspiracy

everything that these people call conspiracy;

do not fear what they fear,

and do not dread it.

The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,

he is the one you are to fear,

he is the one you are to dread,

and he will be a sanctuary;

Isaiah 8:11-14a

Children fear the wrong things. Children fear the dark, they fear imaginary threats, and they fear not having their needs met. Children weep and wail for reasons that can be amusing to their parents. Now parents are not being insensitive, but the old saying “don’t cry over spilled milk” must have had its origin when the glass of milk hit the floor and child began to bawl. If you are a parent, don’t tell me you have never had a chuckle over a crying baby.

Isaiah 8:11-14 warns God’s people not to fear the same things the people of this world fear. The list of fears in this world is long, including: Global warming, the Greatest Depression, Swine flu, tidal waves, hurricanes, anarchy, the collapse of the dollar, a stock market melt-down (again), unemployment, no medical care, and a thousand other really bad things all of which may indeed happen.

Christians are told to fear God not the tragedies that may come upon us in this world. The tragedies that will come on this world are temporary. God is permanent. The tragedies that will come on this world cannot destroy us if we belong to God. We may be tossed about by the wind, thrashed against the shore, trampled and beaten, but if we belong to God we will emerge on the other side of the storm to be with Him forever in glory.

Christians will suffer, but it is not the suffering they seek. It is the Lord Himself who will see them through the suffering. It is the Lord that they fear and long for at the same time.

A group of small children, may be afraid of the dark, afraid of the storm, afraid of the “face in the window,” but not afraid of the things that can really do them harm. It is part of the definition of being a child. That is why children must have baby sitters until they are old enough to fear the right things.

The world today is like those children who are afraid of Global Warming, afraid of an economic collapse, and many other things, but have no fear of the Lord who made them.

When all you fear is God Himself, you can rest in Peace that ultimately all will be well with your soul!