Fear Undone

Fear Undone

I am going to put a spirit in him so that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.

Isaiah 37:7

IN WORD In the midst of a desperate situation, Isaiah gave Hezekiah the reassurance he needed: “Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me” (v. 6). In other words, Hezekiah was to ignore the fact that a powerful army was surrounding him. He was to look instead to the character of the God who made a commitment to the kingdom long, long ago. He was reminded to focus on who was really in charge.

That advice is easy to hear and to accept as God’s voice. For many of us, however, it’s nearly impossible to follow. We want to believe it. We say we believe it. We just have a hard time keeping our minds off of the threats. We worry about what will happen next and how we’ll manage to deal with it. We play out scenarios in our minds about all the possibilities before us, calculating our responses to almost endless variations. We become downright obsessive.

The words of God in verse 7 ought to remind us how silly our obsessions can be. God can put a spirit of any kind into an enemy or a situation. He doesn’t manipulate the human race like a puppeteer, but He certainly knows how to use our moods, decisions, and circumstances for His purposes. And when those who oppose His Kingdom have made a stand for their own agenda, He can harden a heart (like Pharaoh’s) or instill fear (as He did with the king of Assyria) to thwart them. God’s desire is to establish His own plan. If we’re in line with it, we have nothing to fear.

IN DEED Ask God today how His heart perceives your circumstances. Draw near to Him in intimacy and let Him whisper His plans in your ear. You’ll be encouraged by what you hear. He’s sovereign, and nothing can thwart His purposes for you. Lay down your obsessive fears and be fascinated with His goodness instead.

It is only the fear of God that can deliver us from the fear of man.

—JOHN WITHERSPOON