“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me…” (Psalm 23:4).
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:2).
The Lord has promised us that He will be with us even when we walk through the shadow of death. He has already experienced every trial and every pain, even the pain of death. He has gone before us and now lives to tell the story. He can say with all authority, “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10).
There is nothing to fear, because you are never alone. Your Father in heaven knows what you are facing and He has promised that no matter what you go through He will be with you. The light of His presence can be experienced even in the darkest night. A ray of sunshine always follows dark clouds, and the light of a new day always follows the night.
However, you must pass through the dark night to get to the next sunny day and the same is true of death. You must pass through death to get to resurrection life. Jesus passed through death and made life possible for all who will trust Him. When we put our trust in the Lord even death is but a shadow, something you simply pass through.
Put your full trust in the Lord, He will never leave you or forsake you.
“Fear not; stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today…” II Chronicles 20:17
Moses knew the Israelites were struggling with fear. That is why he said, “Fear not!” Once when they were fearful, the children of Israel said, “Just leave us alone” (Exodus 14:12).
When you have lived under bondage for a long time, as the children of Israel had, you don’t know how to live in freedom. You can actually be fearful of the unknown. Pharaoh had complete control over the children of Israel, which was bondage; but they had lived under his control for so long they were fearful of another way of life.
When someone has had control over you, and you step outside of their control, be aware you will feel different at first. You may feel an apprehension of the unknown; so, be careful not to give in to the “fear of the unknown.” The fear of living outside of that person’s influence is sometimes stronger than the fear of being controlled. If someone has controlled you, your feelings, your decisions, and even dictated your choices, you won’t know how to stand on your own two feet. If you give in to fear, you can begin to think it is better to be back under that person and submit to their lordship rather than to believe that you can trust the Lord, hear His voice, and make your own decisions.
If you have lived under fear of how someone will respond when you make your own decision, then you are allowing their emotional responses to control you. I can just hear the children of Israel, “Oh, no, He is really mad now! You know what happens when Pharaoh gets mad.” My question to you today is this: Do you find yourself saying something similar? “I don’t want _________to get mad. Or, “I will do anything to keep him happy.”
Another fear is the “fear of punishment.” We don’t live in Egypt under Pharaoh, but we can live in bondage to other people and be fearful of their punishment of rejection, which is a form of emotional abuse. Many people who have an unmet need for acceptance are in bondage because of their need for acceptance and approval from others.
You will get a drop of approval from a person, but never get a full glass. You then wait and wait for another drop, but it never comes. That person is controlling you by that one drop they gave you. Don’t be overcome by the “fear of rejection.” That person will only continue to drag you along into their games of manipulation and control. If they see you are beginning to falter, they will give you one more drop to keep you in their snare.
A person who keeps you in fear of being rejected is not being a true friend. Fear is not a friend; fear is your enemy. Draw nigh to God, resist the devil (fear) and he will flee from you (James 4:7). The Word “resist” simply means: stand firm, oppose, and refuse to go along with that person who is causing you to be in fear.
The Lord has a path paved out before us that we are to walk on. He wants us to walk in His ways regardless of our circumstances. The ways of the Lord are very simple and written out plainly in His Word. It’s when we veer off track that our life gets complicated.
God has said, “Fear not, for I am with you…” This is not just a suggestion; it is a commandment and it is for our ultimate good.
If you give in and become fearful, you are focusing on the circumstances and not trusting that God will take care of you in your present situation. Fear shuts your spirit down and actually hinders you from hearing God’s voice. Fear will cause you to become inactive and even miss opportunities when God opens doors. If you are fearful and your spirit is slumbering and shut down, you will be unable to walk through the door God has opened for you.
Another way fear affects our life in through anxiety. If you become anxious over your circumstances and take things into your own hands instead of listening for the prompting of the Lord, things will not work out right. Trusting in the Lord does not mean you sit down and become inactive; it means you are moving in accordance with the instruction of the Lord.
His still small voice within will let you know which way to go and what to do at all times. The children of Israel watched for the cloud to move and then they moved. We don’t need to watch clouds, but we do need to listen for His voice, the inward witness of His presence. Apart from the leading of the Holy Spirit we will veer off track and go our own way.
The Lord has promised us that He will be with us even when we walk through the shadow of death. He has already experienced every trial and every pain, even the pain of death. He has gone before us and now lives to tell the story. He can say with all authority, “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10).