The Lord has used some unusual texts in my life to help me begin to overcome the fear of men.
One of those texts is Isaiah 51:12 where God says, “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass?” Doesn’t that strike you as strange when he says, “Who are you that you are afraid?” The meaning is that God regards fear of men as a manifestation of pride. When we say, “Who do you think you are, barging in here like that?” we mean, “You are presumptuous and arrogant to barge in here.” So when God says, “Who are you that you fear mere men?” he means,“You are presumptuous and arrogant to be afraid of men.”
Now I had never thought of my being afraid to witness, or my being afraid to risk some kind of embarrassment, as a sign of pride. It felt like a weakness, and who is proud of weaknesses? But now this text has helped me see my fears in a new light.
Fear of men really is a mark of pride. It is presumptuous. It presumes to take over a responsibility for our comfort which God has said he wants to handle. Fear gets up on the throne and shouts, “Don’t do that; you will get egg on your face. You’ll be humiliated.” So fear takes over the role of protector and guide and comforter.
But these are roles that belong to God. The Lord says very emphatically, “I, I am he who comforts you!” (Isaiah 51:12). So when we allow ourselves to fear the displeasure of man, we are acting arrogantly. We are presuming to set our wisdom above God’s promise.
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God promises to be our comforter and protector, but we deny the credibility of God’s word and allow fear to set the limits of our obedience. Every time we let fear hinder us in an opportunity to share the gospel, we are proudly regarding our emotions as a more trustworthy portent of the future than the promises of God are. So it makes very good sense that God should say, “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you should be afraid of man who dies?”
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People Often Ask These Questions:
- How do I fulfil my destiny? Our destiny is bound up in our response to the Gospel. “Are you saved or lost?” That is the question above all questions. The declaration of the Gospel is “Jesus saves.” He saves from wrath, judgment, hell, bondage, the devil, and darkness. He saves us from dying in our sins. …People insure their houses and yet do not insure their eternal future. Yet we know that salvation offers so much more. Who else offers such insurance but Jesus?
- Why does God allow suffering? You could just as well ask the National Secretary of Transportation why he allows accidents on the highways. No doubt he would take exception to your accusation and point to the rules of the road. “Every time a law is broken, an accident and suffering might occur,” he would reply. People suffer chiefly for one reason—they are ignoring God’s rulebook, the Bible, and everything goes wrong. Our Creator knows exactly how He has made us and what will harm us. Consequently, out of a caring, protective heart, He says, “You shall not … ” The “you shall nots” are not edicts designed to spoil our fun, but rather they are the manufacturer’s handling instructions. God wisely knows that our psyche is unable to handle sin. Actually, it is crushed and tormented by misdeeds. It is always wise to read the instruction manual before using a new appliance. People worry about breaking a new DVD player or a new computer, but strangely, they have no worries about destroying their own spirits and souls with the poison of sin.
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Please READOUT LOUD below Prayer and contact us @ circ.community@emoltem.com for more information.
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior and to yield back the life given to me by You, back to You. Take Control of my life Lord, and let only your will be done in my life from now on. Amen.”