What Does Fear Do?

This illustration from the Bible puts it in perspective — the Israelites became scared of the sound of a shaken leaf and fled when none pursued (Leviticus 26:36).

What does fear make us do? It makes us run for no reason. Even the slightest sound becomes terrifying.

Adam heard the voice of God daily in Eden. He lived in the audible presence of God. But when he sinned, fear entered his heart. The loving voice of God became a frightening one. He hid from God.

A person living in fear isn't just a spiritual captive. The spirit of fear makes them suffer mentally and emotionally. Fear causes them to flee from every good thing God provides.

"I was always scared of Math. Until Class 10, I refused to take tuition because I believed I was unteachable. Just before the board exams, my brother asked a friend — who was great at Math — to help me. He made the learning process feel easy and approachable. He had a pleasant personality and convinced me without much effort.

The final exam went well. I was happy with how I had done and estimated my score to be around 72 out of 100. When I got home, my tutor had done the same calculation — 72. I was thrilled.

But when the results came, I had scored only 30. I had failed.

Surprisingly, I wasn't sad. I felt at peace. I realized that sometimes, even when we give our best and expect the best, life doesn't go as planned. And that is a part of growing up."

Fear is a liar. It can convince us to live a lie. But when we trust God during times of trouble, we are freed from those lies and enabled to see life clearly.

Dear saint, invite God's perfect love into your heart so that all fear is cast away. God knows us more than we know ourselves. He is the only one who can be truly trusted. He will always see us through.

Maranatha. Praise God. Amen.