Luke 12:1-7
'I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.'
Fear is a very real feeling in our life. The main reason for fear is uncertainty about what lies ahead, and there's also the uncertainly about how others might react to something. Lots of human behaviors are simply reaction towards fear. For example, people buy insurance in case something bad happens. Fear is the authority that rules our heart, but fear is not completely bad for us. Having "positive" fear helps us to prevent many undesired catastrophes from happening. Therefore, we must understand what we are fearful of in order to truly enjoy peace and happiness in our life.
Jesus clearly taught us the truth about fear. First of all, don't be afraid of the devil Satan; all he can do is to warm your body, but he can't harm your soul. Satan likes to use deception and accusation to make us fearful, but the reality is that you and I belong to God, and He will take responsibility for our life. Even though we might walk through the valley of shadow of death in our life, we will not be harmed because of the Lord's staff and rod, for they will comfort us. This is the assurance we have in the Lord, and we can use it to proclaim victory before the enemy.
Next, we must be fearful of the true God. We are scared because we are ignorant, but we are fearful what we know. First, we know that the Lord will carry out judgment, and nothing in our life can be concealed in front of the altar of judgment. Therefore, we must live with a fearful heart for God and be careful how we live. Second, we know that Lord will take care of us. Verse 6 says that even though the sparrows are so ordinary, God still remembers them, so of course He will take care of the people chosen by the Lord. He cares for us and the path of our life to the point that He has counted each of our hair. Therefore, we can have complete faith in Him, because those who believe in Him shall not be ashamed, and trusting in God will let have complete victory again the bondage of fear.
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