2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind’..    

• DAILY READING –  – 1 Corinthians 14:26-40; 2 Kings 9; Jonah 4

During World War 2, a Japanese soldier, Shohoiya Yokowai was sent to serve on the island of Guam. One day, he sighted the American forces landing on the island. Full of fear that he would be captured by the American soldiers, he fled into the jungle. There he found a cave in which he hid. He was so afraid he remained in the jungle hiding in the cave, only occasionally coming out to find what to eat and go back into hiding. Without any communication with the outside, he didn’t know when the war was over. He would remain hidden in the cave for the next 28 years because he was afraid of being captured by the Americans. 

When he finally emerged after so long, his story captured media headlines. 

Fear sentenced this Japanese soldier to 28 years of self imprisonment. He served, not in a prison of bars and locks, but a self-imposed prison of fear…

Indeed the fear of a man brings him to a snare. 

The words “Fear not” occur 365 times in some Bible versions. This cannot altogether be a mere coincidence. It would seem as if God has designed each ‘fear not’ for everyday of the year. This is because fear is a major problem that plagues the hearts of men. 2 Timothy 1:7 says ‘for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind’.

So fear is a spirit. This is the spirit that keeps men bound in limitations and stops them from taking bold steps in life. But where The Spirit of The Lord is there is liberty. To counter the spirit of fear, we need the liberty The Spirit of God brings. The righteous are as bold as a lion. It is The Spirit of God that imparts boldness to a believer. This was clearly seen in the life of Peter. Standing before a small maid Peter out of fear denied Jesus 3 times, but when The Holy Spirit came upon him, standing before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish highest ecclesiastical council, under threat of death, he boldly proclaimed Christ.  

If a man lacks The Spirit of God he will be plagued by the spirit of fear. The Spirit of God sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts, and perfect love casts out fear. 

Escape from the spirit of fear therefore is by binding ourselves to The Spirit of God. 

For the assignment God has called us to, we need boldness to accomplish it. Because on our journey we will be confronted by giants, battles, and all manner of challenges. Except The Spirit of God leads us and goes with us we will be too afraid to make any move. Moses understood this when he declined to continue on the journey to Canaan except God’s presence went with Israel.  

Indeed it is God’s Presence that makes the difference. 

If God be for you who can be against you?

1 Peter 3:13 questions ‘who is that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good’.    

All these assures our heart that our case is different. And emboldened by The Spirit of God we can go forth and do exploits, knowing that we are truly unstoppable. 

Faith is the answer to fear. It was said that fear knocked, faith opened the door and there was no one there. Fear flees when faith appears. This is why it is important to fill our heart with The Word that produces faith. 

When Joshua was about to go forth with the army of Israel to possess the promised land, God commanded him to meditate on the Word day and night, by so doing he will be strong, courageous, and not be afraid or dismayed. 

Likewise to possess that which God has apportioned to us we must meditate constantly on the Word of God. When our heart is filled with faith there will be no more room for fear. Through divine boldness we become more conquerors in every battle of life. 
PRAYER: Lord, please grant me renewed appetite for continuous study of Your Word so that I can contact the needed faith to always overcome fear. Please inoculate my heart with boldness to go forth and accomplish all that You have ordained for me in destiny in Jesus Name. 

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QUOTE 

Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- – WORDBITE 222. 

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK METAMORPHOSIS]