fear Archives – Sonshine's Journal

November 27, 2024November 27, 2024

11.26.24. Fear is the enemy

John 19 Guilty or Innocent

In this chapter the Apostle John is like Sherlock Holmes. He has the evidence, will he pronounce the verdict? Jesus remarked that the one who had handed him over to Pilate had the greater sin. Who was He referring to? Could it be Pilate who stood before him in total fear. Of what was he fearful? Jesus had just said he was given the power of his destiny and Pilate had to answer to Rome. Could it be Caiaphas, the high priest because of his announcement that one man should die for the nation. As we read this we encounter several emotions and decisions are revealed.

The first and prominent emotion is fear and Proverbs reminds us that the fear of man is a snare. Both Pilate and Caiaphas were fearful and their fear was guiding their decisions. As we watch and listen we are reminded that we have an adversary who is clever enough to sway men’s minds just as he did in the Garden of Eden. He presents just enough truth to sway us and then we fall victim to his plans. The worst part of that is that our fear leads us into the path of sin and others become complicit along with us. We can’t say he made me do it. We are all responsible to God for what we decide.

Both Pilate and Caiaphas leave us with how we are to make decisions. We can allow fear to guide us or we can seek the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom from the Holy One. Whom will you choose?

March 1, 2023March 1, 2023

Faith or Fear?

Numbers 13-14 God noted that over ten times, He tested them, and over ten times, they failed. So now God would give them the biggest test of all. He would reveal treasures beyond their wildest imagination. Would they remember God’s faithfulness in the past and His provision?

Ten spies sent to scout out the Promised Land saw the beauty, but their faith waned when they saw the giants. Only Caleb stood up to them and said: Let us go! Let us occupy!

God’s promises are real, but we have to have “Caleb and Joshua” eyes to see and “Caleb and Joshua” hearts to trust. God shows us the treasures of His Word, but just as the Israelites saw the enemies, our arch-enemy is always seeking to offer his fruit, and if we listen and partake, we will find that it is deadly. We have a choice, just as the Israelites did. Will our faith conquer our fears?

The Israelite’s fear triumphed over their faith. Prov 29:25 reminds us that the fear of man is a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted. Their fear revealed their lack of faith with words of “yes…but,” and only Joshua and Caleb lived to tell about it for over 40 yrs. How often does God show us His treasures, but our enemy “fear” triumphs over our faith? Be a Caleb and a Joshua!

March 8, 2022March 8, 2022

Submit to God

Judges 5-8 The Sword of the Lord & Gideon

God is gracious to show us through the story of Gideon that we face two enemies: fear and pride. [Prov. 29:25]. In the story of Gideon, we see how those enemies are used to draw us away from giving God the glory. First, Gideon sequesters himself in a winepress where he threshed out the family’s crop. When the Angel of the Lord challenged to take down the Baal altar, instead of trusting the Angel he took ten servants and did it -in the middle of the night. Yet, God again was gracious and told him to sneak into the enemy’s camp where he heard: The Sword of the Lord and Gideon. Still, Gideon had not conquered those enemies in his life. After the battle, instead of reminding the other tribes that God was the Victor, he appeases them and includes them in the victory. And then, lastly, Gideon added to his enemy list by collecting gold to make an ephod which became a snare to the nation and his family.

Sin is ugly! Pride is ugly!

We teach this story to children because it is exciting, but do we forget this part of the story? There is a lesson here. God is jealous, and He will not share His glory with another. [Is. 42:8] In making the ephod of gold, he did precisely that. We do the same and it all boils down to this sin: fear is a snare as is pride. These are our enemies and we must fight against them.

Today give God the glory and remain humble. He who humbles himself, God will exalt, [Luke 14:11] and the contrast is also true.

February 8, 2019

Conquering the Spirit of Fear

What strikes fear in your heart? Is it circumstances, people, the dark?

fear num 14 prov 29a

Numbers 14 What does Satan send your way that sends you into a tailspin? The most destructive tool he has in his arsenal is that of fear. Of what are we fearful? After hearing the report of the 12 spies the Israelites, one by one, dismissed the words that the land before them was flowing with milk and honey; even after seeing the cluster of grapes carried on a staff between two men. It was when they heard about the strong inhabitants and the fortified cities they lost all courage. Over their cries, Caleb and Joshua cried out: “If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us.” Yet one cry led to another and then another and finally, the cries of fear rose above Caleb and Joshua’s testimony.

Satan used the words: the land devours its inhabitants, the people are of great stature, and we seemed like grasshoppers both to ourselves and to them. Solomon was right; The fear of people becomes a snare,…[Prov 29:25] and Satan uses that fear to trap us.

Where does Satan have you in his grip of fear? Remember this truth: If God is for us, who can be against us?[Rom 8:31 ] and this: “whoever trusts in the Lord shall be exalted” [Prov 29:25]

May it be said you as God said of Caleb:

“he has a different spirit and has followed me fully,”

November 11, 2015

Is Jesus Your Messiah?

John 9 is the greatest story ever told about what occurs when both physical and spiritual illumination happens in a person’s life. The LIGHT came as a witness and a sign to the unbelieving; yet some continued, as they do today, to read the False Book of Assumptions; refusing to believe the evidence and thus stand before God condemned. The glaring evidence of both physical and spiritual blindness is revealed that we might consider the words of Jesus to the Pharisees “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains.”

How do we react when God provides concrete evidence of a changed life and they stand “in our face?” Do we honor God or are we like the three groups who witnessed the “miracle man” yet refused steadfastly to believe? All of the neighbors, the parents, and the religious leaders were witness to not just a physical change but a spiritual change as well–yet they refused to accept it from God. The neighbors scoffed and the parents were ensnared by fear. The religious leaders claimed to follow Moses but what about following God? These are now without excuse because they wanted signs to authenticate Jesus. The “miracle man” stood as a work of God as prophesied in Ex 4:11 and Psalm 146:8. They stand guilty of unbelief.

How about you when you are confronted with the evidence? Can you say: “I once was blind but now I see?” This is God’s grace.