Is Fear your life Pattern?

Genesis 15:1

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”  If you do not recall me saying so, let me share that I’m very familiar with fear, as a child I learned how to fear, first it was the shadows that I saw while laying in my bed at night, and it was the man, who mother said lived in our attic, and did not like little boys that did not obey their mothers.  As I got older I check out the attic, and most of the time I was not fearful of that old man who never was, but I still didn’t like the dark.  But new fears came into my life; will I be liked, will I pass this grade, (not that I never did much to make that happen).  As I got older, it was the fear, could I cut it as a husband, did I know how to love someone, what kind of dad would I be?  And at the job, did I have what it took to get the job done, did my boss like me or was I on my way out the door, with no way to take care of my family?  Yes, I had a big fear problem, and it was years before I read what God said, and I really did not know if I could trust Him.

We read God saying to Abram, “Fear not,” can a person who lives most of their life in fear quit being fearful? “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield;” what is a shield, and how do we get one?  I looked it up in my dictionary and it gave this definition, “a person or thing providing protection.”  In my search to understand what God had promised Abram, I came across seven verses in the Bible that tell us God will be a shield, but I needed to know that God would be my shield.  Psalm 84:11, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor.  No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.  In Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

For me it became clear, I had a fear problem, and God who cannot lie, has made a promise that if I would take refuge in Him, He would be my protection, or my shield.  Isaiah the prophet made this statement, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)  Isaiah said that even in our worst of trials God will be our companion, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”  We also have these words from the apostle Matthew,  “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  (Matthew 10:30-31)

Changing a life pattern is not easy, but Jesus has promised that He will not leave us or forsake us, that He and the Father are one and no one can take us out of the Fathers hand.   If you need a shield that is able to protect you from all that the enemy of your soul has planned for you, that shield is Jesus Christ, our Protector, Redeemer, and Savior.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice