From 'Be afraid' to 'Don't be afraid' - Wednesday October 22, 2014
Perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:18-19
I pushed a square of red Jell-O onto the umpteenth plate and scooped another, ready for the next person in the conference lunch line. But the next person surprised me by saying, "Uh, could you stop licking your finger after you serve the Jell-O?" What? I wasn't aware that I'd been using my finger to push Jell-O squares onto plates and then absentmindedly licking my sticky finger. Disgusting!
Unfortunately, that's also how my life has gone. Often I've discovered my sins after the fact. In Luke 12:5, Jesus' words were sobering: Fear the One who has authority to cast into hell. My reaction? "OH, NO! That's crazy scary!" There was no way I could be "good enough" to save myself. Half the time I wasn't even aware of my problems!
Yet Jesus went on to speak words of reassurance. After admonishing us to fear the absolute authority of God as our judge, Jesus then said: "Do not fear." Hadn't He just said, "Be afraid of God," and now it's "Don't be afraid"? What gives? God values you and me immensely. "Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." Rest assured. You are priceless to Him. This leads to Jesus promising that when we confess Him, He'll stand by us and claim us as His own. Finally, Jesus removes all fear with one more assurance: "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom" (12:32).
Even though your sin was a valid reason for fear, God values you! His Son advocates for you, and the Father gives you a place in the kingdom. Crazy scary is gone.
Submitted by:
Rita Bergen
Cornerstone Community Church
Overland Park, Kansas
One-Year Reading Plan:
Jeremiah 39:1-41:18
2 Timothy 1:1-18
Psalms 90:1-91:16
Proverbs 26:1-2
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