If I were to ask you to tell
me about your greatest fear, what would be your story?
What if I told you that the only way your fear
will be realized is if you bring it to pass.
Our words have more power
than we realize. We don’t pay much attention to how things happen in our lives,
but most of our situation and circumstance is evident because we spoke it into
existence.
Let’s take a look at Job for
a minute: Job 1 reads that Job was blessed beyond measure. He loved the Lord so
much that he feared that his children, who would party on a daily basis,
would curse God in some way. So, Job had a regular custom of making burnt
offerings every morning for his children.
Job definitely lived with sin
consciousness. Job tossed and turned all night in fear that his children would offend God. As soon as he could, he'd arise every morning and offer sacrifices. It was customary for the Israelites to offer burnt offerings for
many reasons, including sin, but most importantly it could be conducted to
cleanse from SINFULNESS. Job didn't know if sin was committed, but he wanted to leave no sin uncovered.
In the first chapter of Job we see that God
has allowed the enemy to take everything that Job possessed.
What is Jobs response? Job 20:1 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and
naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away-may the name of
the Lord be praised.”
Huh? I'm not sure I would've praised God at that moment. I'm just keeping it real.
Anyway, as we further read, these tragedies didn't come upon Job because he was sinful. Job 1:8 reads: "Then the Lord said the Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?. There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
This tells us that
God allows situations to manifest in our lives that have nothing to do with our
behavior. How many times have we blamed ourselves for the pain we've experienced? How many times have others blamed us for tragedies? Isn't it good to know that everything that happens isn't always our fault?
Initially, Job was very humble during this time. He fell to his knees and praised God..that was until he couldn't take it anymore. Job held his peace until
Chapter 3. Job then begins to curse. Job 3:25 He states, “What I feared has
come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.”
Did we just read that
correctly? Yes, Job states that what he feared the most has happened to him. We
can assume that perhaps it wasn’t jobs BEHAVIOR that brought about the turmoil
but rather his BELIEF. Now we see the truth.
Job’s friend Eliphaz
immediately chimed in with his observations. Job 4:1
“If someone
ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can
keep from speaking?
Think how you
have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. Your words have
supported those who stumbled; But now trouble comes to you and you are
discouraged; it strikes you and you
are dismayed.
Should not
your piety (being religious) be your confidence; and your blameless ways your
hope?”
I read
this and immediately wanted to slap Eliphaz. Isn’t it just like people though
to tell you what you should be doing? They question your motives and behaviors. This digs deeper into the wound. Right when you need comfort...you get a accusation. Job just couldn't get a break.
I
wonder what would’ve happened to Job is his fear had been in another area of
his life. The enemy knows just what area to attack us in. As we read earlier,
Satan knew how Job was protected and in what areas he was protected in. He had
studied Job and watched Jobs words and actions.
John
10:10 says that satan’s job is to steal, kill and destroy. Satan is attacking
you in the very area that you fear because it’s your weakest point. He wants
you to curse and accuse the God you serve because you can’t serve a God whom
you curse. .
So,
let me ask you again, what area of your life do you have the most fear?
What do
you believe will happen in that area if you don’t DO SOMETHING, because after
all you are the one holding it all together!
On a
scale of 1-10 how strong is your fear?
What
efforts have you put into making sure that fear NEVER comes to pass?
What
would you be willing to do in order to never feel fear again?
Challenge: Take your fear to the Lord and release them into his care.
