And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.–Matthew 10:28 Hydrophobia is fear of water. Nyclophobia is the fear of darkness. Acrophobia is fear of high places. Xenophobia is fear of strangers. Claustrophobia is fear of confined places. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 6.3 million American adults, ages 18 to 54, have some type of specific phobia. That is a large number of people living in fear. The horror of 9-11 subjected people to terrible suffering. That tragic day has had a lasting impact on multitudes who continue to be gripped by fear. What happened was awful and we should never forget it but we don’t have to live in fear. David Jeremiah wrote:
Without God, this world is a frightening place, but there is no need to lead a life of trepidation. We know the One who created the heavens and the earth and told the wind and the waves to obey Him.
If we call ourselves children of God, we do not have to fear the things of this world because God tells us that He “has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). The only fear we need to live in is the fear of the Lord, for He is awesome in might and perfect in holiness.
God is down in front. He is in the tomorrows. It is tomorrow that fills men with dread. God is there already. All the tomorrows of our life have to pass Him before they can get to us.
Frederick B. Meyer
