We all have fears. Some are real. Some are irrational. When they become irrational we call them phobias. For what is called the “ultimate list of phobias” check this out. There is some really wild and crazy phobias.
But most people don’t have phobias. They just feel the icy grip of fear from time to time. Fear is no respecter of persons. Age. Color. Status in life. What can be agreed upon though is that fear often paralyzes people.
When we meet Gideon he is wrapped in the cloak of fear. Judges 6:11 tells us that. Why? Because his country is overrun by Midianites. They would wait until harvest and then swoop down and take all the food from the hard work the Israelites had put into plowing, planting and taking care of the crop. We find Gideon hiding in fear beating out some grain by hand.
But God calls him to deliver his people. He had to overcome his fear of the Midianites. But first, he even had to overcome the fear of his countrymen. He had to overcome his discouragement and his sense of inadequacy. What really changed his attitude was not new scenery; it was God’s presence. I’m not minimizing legitimate fear, but I do believe many people are wracked with fear because they forget WHOSE they are. I know that is simplistic but it has to be for the scope of this blog. But do give it some thought.
I mentioned in last week’s post that I plan to post the weekend’s sermon earlier on Thursday since weekends are dead. PLUS it gives me a chance to ask you for prayer. Thanks for praying for me.
Praying, Bill!
With you on this all the way, Bill. We all tend to fear more of the world that God controls than we revere Him. Not a lot different than idolatry.
Praying for you, my friend.
I don’t understand on how believing in a God that allows bad things to happen causes a person to have less fear of bad things happening.
Years ago when I worked with my church’s children’s choir, we performed a musical all about the story of Gideon called “Zeroes into Heroes.” I still have such fond memories of that!
God can alleviate our fears when we turn everything over to Him. (I know, easier said than done.)
Praying, Bill!
wrapped in a cloak of fear. yes, been there, done that.
i want to be more focused on wrapping myself in the love and safety of Christ.
and i want to say adios to fear for good.
That was a long list of fears, now I know what my kids suffer from didaskaleinophobia, I did too though!
Praying for your sermon Bill!
For me it’s Acrophobia, fear of heights.
Of course you need to be careful sending people off to fearof.net in case they suffer from Pinaciphobia. 🙂
Haha, now I know what my phobia is called: Lepidopterophobia 😀 (I’m stupidly-and-irrationally scared of winged insects, butterflies included. Thankfully, flies don’t scare me, otherwise, I’d be a complete nut. Kind of funny because my phobia became real *because* of a fly that got into my ear…)
But yes, thank God for helping us overcome our other fears.