Get Truth Get Life

KEY TEXT: Proverbs 28:1 (AMP) – “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

Fear offers nothing good. Purposes have been aborted as a result of fear. People have missed out on great opportunities because of fear. A famous quote says, “Everything you have ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” We often run away from good things unknowingly because of fear. People fear all sorts of things except God. They fear animals. They fear public speaking. They fear speaking their minds. They fear job interviews; they fear opening a business; they fear education. In short, they fear everything.

In the book Dreams from My Father, Former United States of America President Barrack Obama says that confidence is the secret to a man’s success. You don’t always have to be the best or the most talented; you must be confident. He who is confident can seize more significant opportunities than one who is highly talented but shy. In the parable of the talents, the third servant was afraid to trade his one talent because he feared losing it, so he hid it in the ground (Matthew 25:24-25).

Many have been made great musicians but fear performing because they are unsure what the crowd will think of them. Unfortunately, some die without using their talent to benefit the world. Others have left the stage for the Devil and his agents to shine and have an evil influence on human beings because of not using their talents. If we had more gospel musicians than secular ones, we would not have the vast negative influence we see in the world today. Some people have a great talent for speaking but never do it because they are unsure if they are good enough. A cloud of fear usually encompasses our minds to prevent us from pursuing our purpose and reaching our destiny.

Fear is more harmful than what we fear. For example, one may want to write a book but fear the intensive work that it will take for them to write and complete that book. Therefore, they end up not writing it. While it’s true a book may require a great deal of work to write, considering one has to do extensive research and the strenuous work of proofreading and editing, the work done is nothing compared to the opportunities it can offer, especially if it is a book that aims to improve the lives of people.

Others may want to market their products and services but fear rejection. It is a fact that when one goes out there to market their products, not everybody will buy what they are selling, and so they are likely to face some rejections. However, most of these rejections are better than we think. Some people have gotten great business ideas because of rejection. Hence, they end up making more money than they would have made if they were accepted. Some have met great and better people in their lives due to rejection.

Rejection is always a blessing when you are doing the right thing. When you go on a mission and preach to people and get rejected, that is a blessing in disguise. God blesses one who faces more problems while doing His work and endures through them successfully than one who doesn’t face any problems. That is why the Bible tells us to count it all joy when we go through trials (James 1:2).

We should always choose confidence and strive to rise above our fears.

How do we do that?

The Fear Of God Fosters Confidence

Proverbs 14:26 (KJV) – “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.”

The Bible says that confidence is found in the fear of God. This idea is very intriguing as one may wonder how fear can bring confidence while fear is known to bring more fear. Indeed, fear usually brings more fear, but the fear of God does not play on the same level as the fear of other things. The fear of everything else besides God brings you down, but the fear of God lifts you. This notion may sound ironic, and the irony of it should cause us to acknowledge the supremeness of God.

God is above all things, including all natural laws. The Bible says that the Heaven and Heaven of heavens cannot contain God (2 Chronicles 2:6). God is not confined in the laws of nature because He is the creator of nature. All nature is confined in Him. All nature abides in Him. Therefore, instead of the fear of God bringing more fear (like how the fear of all other things does), it brings confidence.

“In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence (Proverbs 14:26)”. The Bible puts the adjective strong before the word confidence. The confidence one gets when one fears God is not just confidence but strong confidence. It is the type of confidence that cannot be shaken.

When one fears God, one will try not to anger Him. Therefore, they will obey all His commandments. The keyword is all. Why I’m I emphasizing the word all? In human relations, many can attest to how they lost a remarkable friendship because of small mistakes made by the other party. Sometimes it is not even many mistakes; it may just be one. One mistake made you angry, and you ended a relationship. How much do we anger God with our numerous mistakes? It is not enough to keep nine commandments out of ten and leave one. Nine out of ten translates to ninety percent. However, ninety percent is a failure because God wants one hundred percent.

When one keeps all nine commandments but deliberately chooses not to keep the Sabbath commandment, he has failed in God’s eyes. Such a person is not fully submitted to God. They are ninety percent submitted to God while ten percent submitted to another power, and that other power is the Devil’s power. Some, even after being convinced beyond doubt that Saturday is God’s only recognized Sabbath day, will still keep other days as the Sabbath and neglect the seventh day because they are afraid to lose friends in their current churches.

Some people fear what the pastor of their current church will think of them. Others fear what their friends and relatives will say of them. Submitting to other authorities is submitting to the Devil’s authority because it is having other gods before God, and whatever is not of God is of the Devil. It doesn’t matter how appealing and convincing it presents itself. It is of the Devil.

Proverbs 28:1 (KJV) – “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

The wicked run when no one is chasing them because they are in constant guilt. Genesis 4:14 (KJV) – “Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.” Cain was afraid that somebody might kill him. He feared that such a fate might befall him because of killing his brother Abel.

God punished Cain but promised He would put a mark on him so that no one would kill him. When we sin, guilt usually haunts us. That guilt brings fear. We fear that what we have done may come back to us. Before Cain killed his brother, Abel, he was not afraid because there was nothing to fear. Knowing he had gone against the commandments of God ripped off the boldness that he previously had. Cain feared that somebody would kill him, while he was probably the only one in the world with his two parents. Cain was afraid, and maybe no one saw him commit that heinous act.

Joseph’s brothers feared that Joseph would do the same thing to them that they did to him, while Joseph was not interested in revenge. Instead, he wanted to help them. The wicked run when no one is chasing them (Proverbs 28:1). In the early church, when the disciples were constantly persecuted, they presented themselves confidently before the courts. Nothing worried them. They were as bold as a lion because they were righteous and were persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

Church history accounts mention that the disciple John was boiled in oil, but luckily, he did not die. After that incident, he did not lose his zeal for preaching the gospel. He continued preaching the gospel boldly and wrote the book of Revelation. The righteous are as bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1).

Genesis 3:8 (KJV) – “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”

“Adam knew no fear until he became a guilty creature. But if guilt brings fear, the removal of guilt gives confidence.” – Charles Bridges.

Adam and Eve hid from a good God. They hid from a loving, understanding, kind, generous, merciful, and gracious God. The danger of sin is that it makes you run away from what is good and profitable towards what is evil and harmful. The Devil had promised them to be like gods after they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, after they sinned, their mental faculties were debased. Sin sullied their reasoning capacity.

How folly it was for them to run away from a God who is everywhere, who has the whole world in His hands. As they hid among the trees in the garden, their besmirched minds could not remember that God created the trees. God, in His divine wisdom, won them in their own game by asking, “Adam, where art thou (Genesis 3:9)?” He could see them where they were even though they were ‘hiding.’ He may have asked them that so that, for a moment, they can think they have succeeded in hiding from Him.

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Isaiah 32:17 (NLT) – “And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever.”

Seek the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God brings peace and confidence.

Have Faith in God

Ephesians 3:12 (AMP) – “In whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him [that is, our faith gives us sufficient courage to freely and openly approach God through Christ].”

Faith in God gives us boldness. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 – “For he that cometh to God, must believe that He is.” Whoever approaches God must believe that God is love and possesses all the good attributes we can ever think of. If we understand this, we will never fear. Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

God has no thoughts of harming us. He desires that all of us will have a bright future. That is why He has created a beautiful, more glorious home than we can imagine. When we understand God like that, we will not fear.

How, then, do we develop our faith? Romans 10:17 (KJV) – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” John 2:5 (KJV) – “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.” Faith grows by constantly studying and obeying God’s Word. Studying God’s Word can be likened to reading the theory part of a lesson, while obeying God is likened to doing the practical bit.

In my Art and Design class in high school, I usually passed the theory exams but always failed the practical exam. I used to be the highest in the class in theory and the lowest in practical. I had taken Art classes to be an excellent fine artist. It never worked out because I never became good at drawing and painting. Theory lessons are essential to instruct the practical. However, one cannot learn the theory alone and fail to do the practical because the knowledge gained is meant to be applied. When you put God’s Word into practice, your faith will grow because you will learn how faithful God is and that He never disappoints. When you do this, your confidence will automatically grow.

“The apostle has presented before us the importance of making continual advancement in the Christian life. There is no excuse for our lack of spiritual understanding. The successive steps in the path of progress are stated in the exhortation of the text, and we must take these steps if we fulfill the requirement of God, and become fitted for the heavenly courts. The work of progress is not left wholly dependent on our weak human efforts; but as we endeavor to walk in the footsteps of the Redeemer, divine strength will be imparted, that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us. Help has been laid upon One who is mighty to save, and as we strive to add these virtues, He will multiply grace, according to our need, from His own divine sufficiency.” – Peter’s Counsel to Parents, Page 16.1, Ellen G. White.

“Faith is the first round in the ladder of advancement. Without faith it is impossible to please God. But many stop on this round, and never ascend higher. They seem to think that when they have professed Christ, when their names are on the church record, their work is completed. Faith is essential; but the inspired Word says, “Add to your faith virtue.” Those who are seeking for eternal life, and a home in the kingdom of God, must lay for their character building the foundation of virtue. Jesus must be the chief cornerstone. The things that defile the soul must be banished from the mind and life. When temptations are presented, they must be resisted in the strength of Christ. The virtue of the spotless Lamb of God must be woven into the character till the soul can stand in its integrity. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” [James 4:7.]” – My Life Today, Page 96, Ellen G. White.

“The young Christian will have severe tests and temptations. Satan will not permit you to leave his banner of darkness to march under the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel, without making an effort to retain you in his service. He will present every attraction to cause you to leave the narrow road that leads to eternal life; but you must stand like a faithful soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph is an example of how the youth may stand unspotted, amid the evil of the world, and add to their faith, virtue. Though a captive in a strange land, far from the restraints of home, he kept the fear of God before him, and when he was sorely tempted to indulge in evil, he exclaimed, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” The grace of God enabled him to resist the tempter. He was cast into prison, because of his steadfastness of purpose to keep the commandments of God. But prison walls could not shut out the light of Heaven’s favor, nor hinder his advancement in the divine life; for “the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy.” [Genesis 39:21.] And the Lord will be with every soul who adds the precious grace of virtue, and who fears to transgress the law of Heaven.” – The Path of Progress, [* SERMON AT CHRISTIANA, NORWAY, OCT. 6, 1886.], Ellen G. White.

The Example of Joseph

“Joseph did not complain at his lot, nor question why the Lord permitted him to suffer for righteousness’ sake. He did not allow any cloud of despondency to settle upon his heart. He believed in God, and patiently waited for his salvation. He determined that this affliction should serve as an occasion to glorify God and benefit his associates. He did not cease his efforts toward perfection of character. He forgot his sorrow in seeking to lighten the sorrows of others, and the prisoners saw that the Lord was with Joseph. When he had borne the proving of the furnace, the Lord brought him out of the gloomy cell, and exalted him to a position next to the king of Egypt. Those who honor God will be honored by Him.” – The Path of Progress, [* SERMON AT CHRISTIANA, NORWAY, OCT. 6, 1886.], Ellen G. White.

“Had Joseph wavered and fallen under the first temptation, his strength would have been insufficient for the second test. It is important that we do not take a wrong step in any direction; for it is very unprofitable to us. Whatever it may cost you, add to your faith, virtue.” – The Path of Progress, [* SERMON AT CHRISTIANA, NORWAY, OCT. 6, 1886.], Ellen G. White.

Put Your Hope in the Lord

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) – “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Being patient with God while having hope in Him renews one’s strength. Abraham gave birth to Isaac when he was one hundred years old. All those years he waited, he never gave up because God was constantly renewing his strength. God gives us patience in abundant measure.

While facing some of the most complex trials, Job never gave up because he had faith in God. Jesus was obedient to the most painful death, the death of the cross, because He had hope in God. The Bible says those who have hope in the Lord will walk and run continuously without getting tired. Having hope in God will make you mount up like an eagle. You will not be afraid of anything because you know that whatever happens to you will result in a victorious end. It is like carrying heavy goods from the grocery store. When you carry them, you feel like they are a great burden and sometimes overbearing. But when you finally reach home and eat them, you get to enjoy the meal.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (KJV) – “⁷ Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: ⁸ With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”

The people became confident after King Hezekiah assured them that they had the most potent force in the universe on their side, which was God’s power. When you are on God’s side, whoever attempts to attack you can never defeat you. Once you know this and truly believe it, you will never be afraid. You will always have confidence.

“In a time of grave national peril, when the hosts of Assyria were invading the land of Judah and it seemed as if nothing could save Jerusalem from utter destruction, Hezekiah rallied the forces of his realm to resist with unfailing courage their heathen oppressors and to trust in the power of Jehovah to deliver. “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him,” Hezekiah exhorted the men of Judah; “for there be more with us than with him: with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles.” 2 Chronicles 32:7, 8.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 349.1, Ellen G. White.

“Nothing more quickly inspires faith than the exercise of faith. The king of Judah had prepared for the coming storm; and now, confident that the prophecy against the Assyrians would be fulfilled, he stayed his soul upon God. “And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah.” 2 Chronicles 32:8. What though the armies of Assyria, fresh from the conquest of the greatest nations of earth, and triumphant over Samaria in Israel, should now turn their forces against Judah? What though they should boast, “As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?” Isaiah 10:10, 11. Judah had nothing to fear; for their trust was in Jehovah.” – Prophets and Kings, Page 351.3, Ellen G. White.

Depend on God Alone

Jeremiah 17:7 (KJV) – “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

We were created to depend on God alone. However, some of us try to be ‘clever’ than God by attempting to depend on ourselves and other things that cannot help us. The Devil is very powerful, but he exercises his power with permission from God. Therefore, if God stops him from doing something, he cannot oppose it. When we unite ourselves with the Devil through dependence on other things besides God, we become limited in power.

Faith in other gods will yield no good fruit. It might create pleasure that lasts only for a season, but in the end, a great disaster will follow. The life that every created being has flows from God. He breathed into us the breath of life when we were created (Genesis 2:7).

The manufacturer of a particular product is the one who understands the product best. The product does not understand itself. We ought to depend on God because He is our Creator and the one who understands us best. We do not understand ourselves. The Sabbath principle is a principle of dependence. It points us to God as the Creator. Exodus 20:11 (KJV) – “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

“Like the Jews in the days of Christ, many today hear and believe, but are not willing to step out upon the platform of obedience, and accept the truth as it is in Jesus. They are afraid of losing worldly advantages. Their minds assent to the truth but to obey means to lift the cross of self-denial and sacrifice, and to cease trusting in man and making flesh their arm, and they turn away from the cross. They might sit at the feet of Jesus, learning daily of Him whom to know aright is life eternal, but they are not willing.” – This Day with God, Page 64.2, Ellen G. White.

Many church-going Christians doubt God. They do not believe He can heal them of the most chronic ailments. They believe that God can heal minor diseases but cannot heal lifelong diseases such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even HIV/AIDS. Some trust in the doctor’s power more than they trust in the power of God, not knowing that God created the physician and in Him rests all the remedies. Therefore, if a doctor gives them medical counsel that is contrary to God’s Word, they take that advice and put aside God’s Word.

Many Christians are not generous because they fear they may become poor if they give their little possession away. Most of them have read the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand men (not counting women and children) with five loaves and two fish and still fail to realize that little is much when God is in it. Some of them have read the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath who gave Elijah the last meal that she had and as a result, she never ran out of supply. If they read and put God’s Word into practice, they would have no fear because God is faithful. “Hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19).”

“Everyone who is saved must surrender his own plans, his ambitious schemes, which mean self-glorification, and follow where Christ leads the way. The understanding must be yielded up to Christ, for Him to cleanse, and refine, and purify. This will always be done when a right reception is given to the teachings of the Lord Jesus. It is hard for self to die daily, even when the wondrous story of God’s grace is presented with the wealth of His love, which He unfolds to the soul’s necessity.” – This Day with God, Page 64.3, Ellen G. White.

“Often our trials are such that they seem almost unbearable, and without help from God they are indeed unbearable. Unless we rely upon Him we shall sink under the burden of responsibilities that bring only sadness and grief. But if we make Christ our dependence, we shall not sink under trial. When all seems dark and unexplainable we are to trust in His love; we must repeat the words that Christ has spoken to our souls, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” – My Life Today, Page 184, Ellen G. White.  

God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) – “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Dear God, forgive me for fearing other things besides You. Cultivate the fear of You in my heart. Please help me to acknowledge and understand Your holiness. Help me also to treat You with utmost reverence and unwavering obedience. Help me to be more confident. Make me use the boldness that You have given me for Your glory and for the blessing of Your people. In Jesus name, Amen.

Activity

Step 1: Name the Fear

On a piece of paper or in your journal, answer this question honestly:

What is one thing I know I should do, but I haven’t done because of fear?

Examples:

• “I fear sharing my testimony.”
• “I fear starting a business/ministry.”
• “I fear what people will think if I obey God fully.”

Step 2: Replace the Fear with Truth (3 minutes)

Underneath your fear, write Proverbs 28:1:

“The righteous are as bold as a lion.”

Then write this declaration:

“I am righteous in Christ, and I choose to be bold like a lion today.”

If helpful, also write one more promise from the lesson that speaks to you (e.g., 2 Timothy 1:7, Proverbs 14:26, Ephesians 3:12).

Step 3: Take a Bold Step

Choose and do one bold, practical action right now that confronts your fear and aligns with God’s purpose for you.

Examples:

• Text someone and offer to pray with them.
• Record a short testimony and post it to your social media.
• Start the outline of that book you’ve feared writing.
• Message your pastor and ask how you can serve.
• Pray aloud asking God for boldness.

Author: Mark Alex   

Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com 

Phone Number: +254710633247   

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-alex-0b87a9109/

PayPal: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com  

Revolut: revolut.me/markalex92