THE "F" WORD!
Today's society has no regard for decency when using the "f..." word. Vulgarity is common and God-rejecting in everyday life. Crudeness is accepted and even celebrated as a way to show toughness and rebellion against God and His ways.
Believers in Jesus avoid using the "f..." word at all costs. At least real Christians do. Yet, there is another "f..." word many Christians allow into their life that God forbids. In fact, giving in to this "f..." word is the downfall of the Church. The Bride of Christ is forbidden to give it even a little foothold in her life and deportment.
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet who would declare the warnings of God to His people, Israel. Also an Israelite, Jeremiah lived among the people God told him to warn. The prophet knew well that his audience would not be receptive to what he had to say. God also told the prophet that he was going to warn people who would hear what he said, but would not really listen and take his words to heart and repent. As a result, they would fight the messenger! Jeremiah had a bulls-eye on his back from the start!
The prophet poured out his heart to God in the book of Lamentations. All that Jeremiah had prophesied to Israel about God's judgment on her idolatry came true. The walls of Jerusalem were breached by Babylon's army and the people were taken captive and exiled to Babylon. The temple was plundered of its riches and the city was burned. The glory departed from Israel. And, in spite of his telling his own people only the truth, Jeremiah feared for his life and safety.
In Lamentations 3 he raised his cry to God:
"I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the lowest pit. You have heard my voice, 'Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, from my cry for help.' You drew near when I called on You; You said, 'DO NOT FEAR!'" (vs. 55-57)
Aha! There is a different "f" word! FEAR! No matter what concerned Jeremiah and caused him deep distress, God's simple command was, "Do not fear!" Back in Jeremiah 1:8 when God first appointed Jeremiah to be His mouthpiece, He said, "Do not be afraid of them..." Jeremiah knew things would be rough when he declared God's strict warnings to His people. He had been alerted by God ahead of time...but it was still real and distressing.
All he had said would happen to Israel did come to pass because the people did not heed his warning, even as God predicted. Nonetheless, He had warned His people through Jeremiah, and Jeremiah was the one on whom they took out their vengeance!
So, God reminded the man of what He had promised when He first called Jeremiah to be His mouth piece: "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you."(Jeremiah 1:8)
God's message is the same to the Church today. "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20b) We must not let fear rule our lives or shut our mouths when we ought to be hollering to the world that Jesus saves and is the preserver of all that is good and pure.
God did not promise Jeremiah he would be free from persecution and trouble. Instead, He promised that His own presence would be with His prophet to lift him up and deliver him from his enemies when he faithfully obeyed God. That same promise holds true for His Church today.
Modern technology has given us many amazing tools to work with, some good, others bad. On the beneficial side are the many methods we have to relieve pain or prevent it. Dentists inject a numbing agent before drilling, anesthetists administer different drugs before and during surgery so the patient experiences no pain during a procedure. For emotional pain, we have tranquilizers to ease the hurt, and for mild pain relief, our medicine cabints contain narcotics and analgesics to quell headaches, toothaches or sunburn.
No one likes to hurt. Sometimes, however, pain of some sort is unavoidable when being a living example of Jesus and His salvation. From the emotional pain of rejection, scorn and ridicule to the more severe physical and emotional suffering of torture and imprisonment, God's faithful witnesses must expect to suffer. That pain is unavoidable, as Paul wrote to his protege, Timothy:
"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (II Timothy 3:12) Paul confirmed that fact to Timothy, and listed the many ways he was persecuted during his ministry travels to proclaim Christ and Him crucified. He also advised Timothy in 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of power and love and discipline (a sound mind)." That implies fearlessness and boldness, bravery and obedience. Fear is absent.
It is important to point out the difference between conern and fear. Concern means one has and uneasy state of blended interest, uncertainty, and apprehension about something encountered. It would be abnormal not to recognize or anticipate danger immediately ahead and not do something about it.
Jeremiah undoubtedly had concern about what his fellow countrymen would say and do to him because of the messages he brought from God to them. Nevertheless, he went ahead and proclaimed God's word anyway.
Had he let fear dominate his mindset and heart, he would not have obeyed God's directive to preach. That sort of fear causes anxiety, dread, fearfulness, fright, panic and even terror that seize one's thinking and emotions that prevent level-headed thinking and FAITH to trust God and obey what He tells us to do.
So, there is another "f" word: FAITH. It is the most important one of all. Fear and faith cannot occupy the same person at the same time. When Paul said God did not give us a spirit of timidity or fear, he essentially said fear is from the devil. Fear intends to prevent our trust in God. Fear intends to upset God's plans for believers, so they don't move into uncharted waters at God's command. The devil cannot force us to do evil things, but if he can get fear to dominate our thinking and determination, we will stop doing what God wants--and that is exactly what the devil wants us to do. That is why in Hebrews 11:6, the writer says, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
There we have it! The "f" words: fear and faith. We must choose which one rules our life. Are we so fearful of what people will say about us or do to us that we draw back from obeying God? Or, do we choose to believe God and exercise our faith in Him and what He has promised to those of us who believe Him?
Choose to trust God and His promises. Dig into His Word and find His promises. Then cling to them and to Him. When a hard time comes and fear tries to take over, repeat the promises out loud to yourself and to anyone who is listening. Exercise your faith. Walk ahead and do what He has shown you to do, trusting God and what He has said He will do for you. Just as He promised Jeremiah, "...for I am with you to deliver you."
He will enable you to obey what He has told you to do. Trust Him, believe Him, declare Him to others! Believe Him! DO NOT FEAR! Have FAITH in Him. That is the sure way to please God and know victory!