On Fear: The only place that’s safe

Fear. There seems to be a lot of it these days. There seems to be a lot of bad news, a lot of fear-mongering and alarmists and constant worse-case-scenario thinking. I get it. Things do not look real awesome right now in America.

But God. More than ever I’m convinced that it’s critical we pore over the pages of God’s Word more than the latest news story. News is fine and good, but it’s sure to cultivate fear unless we read it through the lens of truth.

It’s this time of year I’m always reading through Jeremiah and I’m always reminded of the only place that’s safe. Check this out, hopefully it will encourage your heart:

The prophet Jeremiah is prophesying to King Jehoiakim about the impending disaster coming upon them if they do not repent and turn from their evil deeds.  His words aren’t popular, as you can imagine, so

“when he finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, ‘You shall die!’ (v.8)

“Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, ‘This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city.” (v.11)

Is Jeremiah safe? How does he respond? First he exhorts them to mend their ways and obey the voice of the Lord, and then he says,

“But as for me, behold I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you … for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.” (v.14-15)

I am in your hands.

How could Jeremiah say that? How could he entrust himself into the hands of an angry mob of people who most certainly intended to kill him?

He knew whose hands he really was in. 

Jeremiah could entrust himself to their hands because he’d first entrusted himself to God’s hands. 

Perhaps he knew the song of David by heart,

“In God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?”

Jeremiah was safe because his heart was free of fear. He was then spared from death. But you know what the very next story holds? Another prophet, Uriah, who had spoken the same sort of words. His story is told,

There was another man who prophesied … Uriah … He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. Then … they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him down to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into a burial place of the common people.” (vv.20-23)

Jeremiah knew whose hands he was in so he entrusted himself to the people and was spared.  Uriah, who spoke the same message, was “afraid and fled and escaped,” and yet was put to death. 

Where are we truly safe?

It’s true: this world is not safe.

The only place we’re truly safe is the place of refusing fear, of wholeheartedly trusting God. With our lives. With our children. With our future. 

Then His peace rules our hearts and gives us the courage to enter dark places with the light of His love, and refuse to cower in fear. Then His Spirit empowers us to speak truth with bold love, no matter how those around us respond. Then He can entrust us with His message, His heart, His mission.

Fear will always lead us to captivity.

Faith will always lead us to freedom. 

May we fully ENTRUST our lives to His good care, and actively intercede for those around us, with the faith and courage that only He can bring.

{In God we trust and we are not afraid.  Thank you for reading.}