March 17
FEAR TO FEAR
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee,
saith the Lord" Jer. 1:8
Whenever fear comes in and makes us falter, we are in danger of
falling into sin. Conceit is to be dreaded, but so is cowardice. "Dare
to be a Daniel." Our great Captain should be served by brave soldiers.
What a reason for bravery is here! God is with those who are with
Him. God will never be away when the hour of struggle comes. Do they
threaten you? Who are you that you should be afraid of a man that
shall die? Will you lose your situation? Your God whom you serve will
find bread and water for His servants. Can you not trust Him? Do they
pour ridicule upon you? Will this break your bones or your heart? Bear
it for Christ's sake, and even rejoice because of it.
God is with the true, the just, the holy, to deliver them; and He
will deliver you. Remember how Daniel came out of the lions' den, and
the three holy children out of the furnace. Yours is not so desperate
a case as theirs; but if it were, the Lord would bear you through, and
make you more than a conqueror. Fear to fear. Be afraid to be afraid.
Your worst enemy is within your own bosom. Get to your knees and cry
for help, and then rise up saying, "I will trust, and not be afraid."