“Lord, who will not fear and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you because your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:4 CSB
I discovered the “Fear Not Challenge” when I was almost halfway through writing October devotionals. I wish I had found the challenge at the beginning of the month, now as I write, my favorite thing is picking the verse. I have the bag on my desk, each morning I pick the verse, whatever it is becomes our devotional verse for the day. A pattern I’ve realized in these verses is the reminder of the relationship between fear and God. The only fear we should have is of God. Phobeo, the original Greek for the type of fear referred to in this verse is defined as “be alarmed, be awestruck, beware, respect.” Solomon tells us in Proverbs, “fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (1:7 NIV). Both of these verses are referring to the reverential awe we should have towards God. But why?
Job answers the question of why we are to fear God well:
“God stretches the northern sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing. He wraps the rain in his thick clouds, and the clouds don’t burst with the weight. He covers the face of the moon, shrouding it with his clouds. He created the horizon when he separated the waters: he set the boundary between day and night. The foundations of heaven tremble; they shudder at his rebuke. By his power the sea grew calm. By his skill he crushed the great sea monster. His Spirit made the heavens beautiful, and his power pierced the gliding serpent. These are just the beginning of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power. Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?” Job 26:7-14 NIV
God is God, nothing else can compare to Him. No fear can scare Him, no difficulty is too great for Him to overcome. When we are fearful, it’s because we’ve taken our eyes off of His greatness. When we let fear grip us, we’ve forgotten who the Creator of the Universe is and the personal relationship we have with Him. I am as guilty as the next person of taking my eyes off Jesus. I am amazed at how quickly fear can grip me, how quickly I forget who God is. I have to preach to myself, I have to remind myself who God is. In my mind, I try to recall any Bible verses I can possibly remember. Phillipians 4:13 is a simple verse to learn, but powerful in times of distress: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Partner that verse with Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” These are a game plan for me. They are verses that have helped me face my fears and remember who God is. Use these, or find verses that you love to help you remember in moments of fear, who God is and what He can do.