Fear is a bully

There was no escape!

Daniel was not very big for his age. He was one of those fellows who loved school, and he loved to read. For whatever reason, George, tall for his age, began to target Daniel. He pestered him every day on their way home from school.

Daniel tried everything to avoid a confrontation. He took different routes home, waited after school, stayed inside whenever George was outside hanging around for him.

The day came when there was no choice; George cornered Daniel. There was no escape!

But George had misjudged the other young man. Within a few moments it was clear who was going to go home crying to his mama, and it was Daniel who had reluctantly, yet, finally faced his fears. The table was suddenly turned and George would never be the same. From that day forward George left Daniel alone.

Fear sometimes finds its root deep within our souls. It is the "bully" we carry within—intimidating us with the "facts". It is the voice that makes us question whether or not God will really take care of us.

The Israelites were way-laid by it on their journey to the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve spies sent out by Joshua came back from Canaan with a factual, yet, evil report—the cities were fortified, the men were giants. No matter that God had proven time and again he was able to overcome any obstacle, the recently freed slaves could not see beyond the "reality" of the situation—to mix the promise of God with faith in His word! 

It was this fatal flaw that threatened their very existence as their reluctance to trust the Lord brought about His fierce wrath. Rather than looking past the giants to the God of the promise, they instead, allowed fear to win and bully them across the desert as they wandered endlessly for 40 years until that faithless generation finally all perished in the wilderness.

Israel crossing the Jordan

As the next generation crossed the Jordan River, God reminded Joshua repeatedly, "Be strong and of good courage." In fact, He says, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." 

God knew the intimidating power of fear, so He actually commanded Joshua not to pay attention to it, but rather look to and depend upon His great power.

David was not free from fear. At one time, while being chased without cause by an furious King Saul, he escape his grasp by pressing into close proximity with his mortal enemies, the Philistines, and to save his life feigned madness himself. He describes his plight with great distress in Psalm 88:

O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. 

I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: 

Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. 

Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. 

Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. 

Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee. 

Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. 

Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? 

Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 

But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. 

LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? 

I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. 

Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. 

Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

King Saul attacks young David

But David also knew where to go for help—not to the advisers and soothsayers. There was certainly no solace to be found in the temples of foreign gods. He didn't hide by imbibing in much wine or personal diversion. No, he pleaded his case before the Almighty—he learned to hide in a place no enemy could reach.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. (Psalm 91: 1-5)

As Christians, we are not immune to difficulties and hardships any more than King David was. There is no amount of preparedness that will in the end keep us from the perils of this life. Our best hope is to learn to dwell in that place David found—abiding under the shadow of the Almighty. 

It is in a surrendered life that we find true peace.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19)

Caleb claims his inheritance

Caleb, at the ripe old age of 85, finally got his chance to stand up against the giants of Canaan and conquer his mountain. His faith had ensured that, even as an old man, his strength was not abated. 

Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. 

Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 

And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. 

And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. 

As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. 

Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. (Numbers 14:7-14)

And it happened just as he said.

In order to become an overcomer we must face our fears straight-on. A young David, too small to fit into the King's armor, faced his giant with a few stones and a sling in the name of the Lord God Almighty.

18 year old mother during the Depression

Warriors are not the only ones who become distressed and overwhelmed. We mothers face mountains every day that loom over us. Keeping a home together and blessed is no job for the faint of heart. The mother of many children often finds herself with more challenges than she has resources to deal with! A new, fussy infant; a child with special needs; a entire family ill with the flu, a reduction in finances due to extended unemployment—these are just some of the situations we can find ourselves in today. It seems so tempting to allow our knees to buckle and give in to those that would wag their fingers at us and mock us with their tongues!

I have stood at the feet of so many giants over the years. I have faced poverty, loneliness, illness, sleep-deprivation, depression and discouraging company. By God I was able to stand strong and hold fast. Each time I saw Him work all things out for the good, my strength through faith was increased. As I release, submit and surrender to Him, it is becoming easier to stare down the devil, with all his clever disguises, until he backs off and flees!

The Giant 

There came a giant to my door, 
A giant, fierce and strong. 
His step was heavy on the floor, 
His arms were ten yards long. 

He scowled and frowned: He shook the ground: 
I trembled through and through; 
At length I looked him in the face, 
And cried, "Who cares for you?"

The mighty giant, as I spoke, 
Grew pale, and thin, and small;
And through his body, as 't were smoke, 
I saw the sunshine fall.

His blood-red eyes turned blue as skies, 
He whispered soft and low. 
"Is this," I cried, with growing pride,
"Is this the mighty foe?"

He sank before my earnest face, 
He vanished quite away, 
And left no shadow in his place 
Between me and the day.

Such giants come to strike us dumb; 
But, weak in every part, 
They melt before the strong man's eyes, 
And fly the true of heart.

Guest post from Sherry K. Hayes