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Have you ever struggled with fear?
Esther enters the Bible and enters history during the reign of King Ahasuerus, when the Persian Empire was at its peak. Esther’s challenge was to serve God in challenging circumstances. Now, Esther – as well as all the other women who were being considered to be King’s wife – knew that Ahasuerus was a fearful man and he had a lot of power. Esther had a lot of reason to be full of fear!
But the Bible mentions two different types of fear: the first type is beneficial, and is to be encouraged, and that is the fear of God. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The second type of fear is detrimental and it is the kind that we need to overcome: it is the fear of man. The first type of fear brings with it blessings and benefits, and is the beginning of wisdom and leads us to understanding.
In Psalm 111:10 we read that wisdom and our faith in the Lord leads us to understanding. The Bible says in Proverbs that only fools despise wisdom and discipline. And the fear of the Lord leads to light, rest, peace, and contentment in Proverbs 19:23. Proverbs 14:27 says it is the fountain of life and it provides security and a place of safety for us. We can see how fearing God can be encouraged, but fearing man is not beneficial at all. This is the spirit of fear that is mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:7 where we read “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” A spirit of fearfulness and timidity does not come from God. If you’re wrestling with the fear of man today, ask the Lord to take it from you. And as we learn more about Esther this week, you will discover as you give your fears over to the Lord, He will replace those fears with faith.
Thank you for these post on fear. Sadly, fear is something I have been struggling with lately. I am 35 weeks with our seventh child. Our last baby was 10 lb 15 oz. Praise be to The Lord that she was healthy. I, on the other hand, hemorrhaged and ended up needing two units of blood.
I wrestled with the fear of becoming pregnant and the conviction my husband and I held close to our hearts about The Lord leading our family size.
I became very ill after the first of the year and it was a struggle to finger out what was causing my body to react the way it was. We tried to be very cautious about becoming pregnant but ended up finding out we that my womb was full once again on April 1. Boy, The Lord sure does have a sense of humor. 😉
I sit here wrestling with fear of labor and another experience like the last. But the power of His word is much stronger. I have copied the verses you have shared and will be packing them in my hospital bag.
All this to say, thank you. Thank you for speaking truth at just the right time. Thank you for letting The Lord lead you as you bless so many with your ministry.
I pray for a speedy recovery for you as well! May The Lord richly bless you.
HI Amy! Thank you for sharing your journey with me. I too had a terrible hemorrhage with our fifth baby and it made my fear of delivering the sixth almost overwhelming at times. Keep trusting the Lord. I know it sounds simplistic but the Lord is teaching me, even as I have now undergone a hysterectomy, that He is in control of all things. I demonstrate my trust for Him when I walk through deep water, simply by the way I respond to fearful situations. God wants you to be at peace and He wants you to know that He IS with you. Your heart to serve and honor Him blesses me, Amy. 🙂 And I know God is well-pleased too. Congratulations on your newest blessing <3 Keep me posted! xoxo heidi
Hey Heidi! I just wanted to leave a praise report! The Lord blessed us a beautiful and healthy baby girl on Nov. 14. Ruth Jubilee weighed 8lbs 15oz and was 3 weeks early. We were able to have a successful birth with NO issues! It was a beautiful… my OB prayed for us before and praised the Lord with us after Ruthie was delivered. We couldn’t have asked for a better morning.
Thank you for your prayers!!!
Amy, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!