I sought the Lord, and He answered me;
He delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4
A number of years ago, one of the richest men in the world died of fear. He was a Texan named Howard Hughes. He became one of the most famous figures and faces in America. He had everything money could buy—everything, that is, but a freedom from fear. In spite of his many successes, great wealth, and fame, he became more fearful and paranoid as he grew older.
His fears caused him to increasingly pull away from people in an eccentric and reclusive lifestyle. As a result of his growing paranoia, this once-famous figure purposefully disappeared from public view and died alone.
Fear attacks both the head and heart. As an emotional enemy, fear invades the spirit and soul of people and ultimately manifests itself in the body, as the story of Howard Hughes reveals. It can hijack the mind, distort the emotions, cripple the will, and destroy the body of its victim, slowly or quickly. But over time, nothing ultimately conquers the demon of fear. It completely and totally possesses its victim.
While a person may experience eternal life through their faith in Christ, they will not really experience His abundant life (John 10:10) until they “faith” down their fears through the power of His Spirit and authority of His Word.
We need to meditate on the liberating words of Paul: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
John, the “beloved disciple,” appropriately gives us the principle of liberation: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
As John rightly observed, “fear has to do with punishment.” The gloriously Good News of the Gospel is that Jesus already fully faced your punishment on the cross! All of your sin and my sin and the sin of the whole world was poured out on Him. Because God is a just and righteous God, He cannot punish both Christ and you for sin. It is impossible for God to collect a spiritual death twice.
Psalm 34:4 is the verse that liberated President Abraham Lincoln from his besetting fears during the very stressful days of his presidency. Just as that verse was almost worn out by Lincoln’s finger passing over it as he read in his Bible to faith down his fears, I pray that you too will let those words be indelibly impressed upon your spirit. Then you will also experience what both King David and President Lincoln experienced: “He delivered me from all my fears.”
Remember that everything depends upon the object of your fear. Fear, like faith, hope, and love, must have an object. The object of your faith and the object of your fear make all the difference in the world. Therefore, if we do not fear God, we fear everything else. On the other hand, if we fear God, we fear nothing else!
