The Impact of Fear

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13

In the picture above, Duke and I are on our daily walk. Normally Duke walks by my side. However, notice his leash is tight, and he has a cowardly position. Every morning when we walk by this certain home, Duke shifts to the center of the street, getting as far away from the house as possible. Something happened near this home that scared Duke. Out of fear, Duke has left my side.

Fear was one of the first results of the sin of Adam and Eve. Adam said to God, I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid... (Genesis 3:10). Before their sin, Adam and Eve had intimate, perfect fellowship with God. After their sin, they feared and hid from God. Fear caused Adam and Eve to distance themselves from God.

Fear is the devil’s instrument to distance us from God. The devil is likened to a roaring lion. (1 Peter 5:8) A lion uses its fierce roar to freeze its prey in its tracks. The devil uses fear to stop us in our forward movement of faith and lure us from our Master’s side.

God, who knows His people are prone to fear, says to us over 365 times in scripture, “Do not fear.” Alongside this command, God gives wonderful promises: I am with you, I will never leave you, I will help you, I will uphold you...

When that next difficult situation arises, you have a choice. You can focus on the difficulty, become fearful, and distance yourself from God, or you can remain focused upon the trustworthy God. Draw closer to Him, and His peace will guard your heart and mind and enable you to move forward in faith. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Lord, in fearful times, help me put my trust in you and draw closer to you.  

Jan Burkhart