He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
Proverbs Concerning: Our Relationship To Fear:
Prov 3:25-26
25) Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the
wicked, when it cometh.
26) For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from
being taken.
INTRODUCTION:
Solomon now addresses a
very important issue that is a major issue in any day or age. It is the issue
of fear. Fear is a universal emotion
that has been experienced throughout the ages. Fear is the opposite of faith
(Matt 8:24-26). Fear is experienced when
our faith is at its weakest point. All
of us have experienced fear sometime during our lives on earth. What is the solution to the fears that we
face?
EXPOSITION:
25) Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the
wicked, when it cometh.
Solomon
proclaims that fear has no place in the life of a Christian. He does this in the form of a command to Christians
to not allow fear into their lives. He says to “be not afraid”. The Heb word translated “afraid” helps us to
understand the characteristics of the fearful circumstance in life…
1. to dread – an undesirable, disagreeable,
unattractive circumstance
2.
to recognize harm – a circumstance that will result in damage, spoil, or
destruction
3.
to be affrighted – a circumstance that shocks, upsets, surprises
How
difficult it is to face these types of circumstances. The natural reactions to these undesirable events
are feelings of coming harm leading to
distress and turmoil.
We
are given two of the greatest causes of fear in the lives of Christians:
1.
sudden fear – the entrance of unexpected and rapid difficulties.
2.
desolation of the wicked – the opposition and harm that comes upon Christians
from the lost who oppose our stand for Christ.
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the
LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
“Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not
dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and
confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall
perish. Thou shalt seek them, and
shalt not find them, [even] them that contended with thee: they that war
against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God
will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” (Isaiah 41:10-13)
26) For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from
being taken.
The
key to overcoming these feelings of fear is trust in the protecting hand of the
Lord. Our Lord, in His role of protector
is said to:
1. be thy One upon whom to rely and upon whom to
base assurance.
2.
be the One who guards and places a
protecting hedge around the traveled path of life
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not,
nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee;
he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee… And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee,
he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:6-8)
SUMMARY:
It
is only through the grace of the Lord that we can overcome the natural
tendencies of fear and distress as we rely upon Him as we look to Him for our
assurance and protection. Whenever we are faced with the fearful
times of life, let us all look to His Word, seek His face in prayer, recognize
our reliance upon Him and, in doing so, remind ourselves of His gracious
promises of protection that He has given to all His people.
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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