Text: Exodus 14:13 to 15.
Fear is a feeling that is aroused in the presence or expectation of
danger. It is usually aroused by what we see, hear, feel or think. It can
therefore be reduced to sight and sound. From what you see or hear, your
emotions deduce an expectation of danger or the presence of it. From our
text, the Israelites were afraid because of the danger of death. The facts
were obvious. The Red Sea was before them, mountains besides them and
behind them were their enemies who were coming for the kill. The sights
and sounds were enough to create the feelings of fear in any human being.
As I write this message, I remember the feeling my wife and I had when we
escaped death last year boxing day. I was driving to keep an appointment
after church. In a bid to overtake several cars to get ahead, I came head
on with this trailer that the driver decided to step on his accelerator.
The driver, obviously demon possessed was going for the kill. Although, I
had to brush another car to escape, it was a close shave. My wife trembled
for a long while. It was the next day that my whole body began to tremble
when the weight of what we were delivered from hit me. I thought about my
children, my family and several other things that evoked this fear that my
wife and I could have gone just like that. God forbid!
You can identify with these Israelites if you have been through
experiences of life that caused you great fear. Experiences that made the
hairs of your body to stand up like it did Job. Job was so afraid that his
body trembled, his bones shook and his hairs stood up. Job 4:14-15. That
is what fear can do. I think that from time to time, every human being
experience fear even though some display a posture that makes people think
they are never afraid. Particularly we men before our wives, we tend to
display a posture of confidence even when we are most fearful. You know,
from upbringing, you don’t want a girl to know that you are weak by
displaying emotions of fear. However, fear is implanted in the fallen man
from the Garden of Eden. When Adam sinned against God, the spirit of fear,
trepidation, tremor and timidity, took hold of the human nature. Adam
said, “…I was afraid…and I hid myself.” Gen. 3:10. Since then, every human
being born into this world is afraid of one thing or the other.
Look at your life and ask yourself: is there anything that you are afraid
of? As this year is rolling by so fast, are you gripped with fear of how
you will pay your bills? Are you afraid that you might not be able to meet
up with your rent and that you might be homeless very soon? Are you afraid
that you might not be able to meet your obligations for one reason or the
other? God put this message in my heart for you. He wants to deal with
your fears. He will deliver you from your fears in Jesus name. Amen.
While these Israelites were afraid, they said all kinds of things they
were not supposed to say. That is what fear does to us. Listen to what
people say and you will locate what they are afraid of. Listen to yourself
and you will see what you are afraid of. Fear speaks just like faith
speaks. Every time you are afraid, you say things that are not true. Yes,
they are not true in the light of God’s word. That is why you must deal
with your fears today. Several months are gone already in the year. You
still have a couple of months to make a great mark. Fear must leave your
being because you can walk in total confidence in God’s ability at work in
you.
Moses spoke what destroys fear. He said to them, Fear not, stand still and
see the salvation of the Lord. That is what destroys fear. Fear not. 365
times it is written in the Bible, Fear not or do not be afraid. It is so
because every day of your life, you need a capsule of fear not. Tell
yourself when you wake up in the morning, I fear not. I am not afraid. I
refuse to fear. I am bold as a lion. I am more than a conqueror. Fear
speaks. To dissolve fear, let your faith speak. Rom. 10:6-10. Speak what
will save you. Speak what you want to see. Speak God’s word to your
situation, your body, your marriage, your ministry, your business. Speak
because what you say is really what will come to pass eventually. Num.
14:28.
When you speak to the point where you can become still and quiet, then you
know that you have conquered your fear. Speak until you are still, quiet
and peaceful. It is in this state of quietness that you can hear God say a
word to you that will give you direction from that point. Psa. 46:10. You
can’t make the right decision when you are harassed and hassled. That is
why even in the court of law, decisions made as a result of duress are
nullified. Every word that you have spoken in your moments of fear can be
nullified when you begin to speak faith filled words. Mark 11:23 tells us
that you shall have whatsoever you say. In fact, Jesus said that you shall
have whatsoever you saith. That is continuous speaking until you see it
come to pass. Don’t stop speaking until you see it come to pass.
Finally, see God’s salvation. What you saw in your mind or mirror was what
evoked the fear. Now, change what you see. See God at work. See God save
and heal. See God deliver you. Don’t expect the worse when God is still at
work. It will turn out right in Jesus name. Amen.
Copyrights© Bishop Michael O. Amamieye, 2011. www.aggressivefaith.org