Fear Not

1 Peter 5:10 “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” ~NKJV

When I was very young, (I don’t remember what specific age), I discovered fear at its highest point. I was walking into the living room one evening to ask my mother a question. She was watching a movie called ‘Salem’s Lot’, a classic vampire movie.  I just happened to walk in the room and glance at the screen when the main ‘vampire’ popped his horrifying face on the screen. I remember yelling and running to my room. After that, I had to have some form of light on in my room at night during bedtime. Some nights the light worked. But those nights that it didn’t were very hard on me.  There was only one thing that made me feel safe more than the lights. Whenever I woke up from sleeping and noticed the dark hallway past my lighted room I would scream out for my mom. I would yell for her to come in my room. 

My mom eventually got tired of coming to my room and then I heard a loud deep voice from the hallway, “Boy! If you don’t be quiet, I’m going to come in there and snatch you out that bed!” It was my dad. After hearing his voice, I figured any monster in the house would have to deal with him first. So my fear left and was replaced by the security I felt by my dad’s presence in the home.

This is why the text above was given to my spirit. It is a text to be read and meditated on when fear of any kind enters our heart. It may not be like my monster in the story, but it could be that monster of anxiety, that monster of finance, that monster of a broken heart or bad relationship. But whatever the ‘fear’, know that God is bigger. 

The text begins by introducing the Father as He is, “…God of all grace…”  No matter what we have done in the past, we are a new creation, and His grace should be met with ‘thanksgiving’ every morning when we rise. It continues to define Him by what He has done in favor to all of us, “…Who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus…” It is through His Son that we are forgiven and allowed salvation.

And then it addresses our suffering. In this case, our fears and everything that may result from what fear has done in our lives.  “…after you have suffered a while…” meaning, the pain we go through from all that is going on in our lives, God has the healing power to, “…perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” 

Perfect the spirit that He has blessed us with to give us the strength we need to overcome our fears and live in the ‘sound mind’ He gave us to follow His direction in obedience. Establish His Word in our hearts to allow us the wisdom to continue the mission of His Son Jesus as we live our lives.

And this last one is the best in healing for all of us, and that is to settle us. My dad settled my anxiety when I was little and afraid.  His voice calmed me and took away my fear because I knew he was with me and would protect our home. This is the same feeling and trust we should have with God. His voice, His miracles, those times He brought us out of anything we were going through. His power is our security! Let go of fear and embrace God’s love! His love for us is our protection.

May God continue to bless and keep you protected and in His power in Jesus’ name,

Amen

Blessings,
Billy

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