That which you Fear...

A very learned and wise man once said, "That which you fear has become your god". And, while this statement isn't found in the pages of scripture it holds within itself the hallowed ringing of truth.

The things which are feared are those which hold our attention, demand our time, and govern our actions. They are, in fact, pervertedly elevated to divine status in the hearts and minds of a mankind living in the carnal, and mankind knows it not.

Fears and worries about health, finances, relationships, politics, belligerent religions, and various behavioral shortcomings, among others are all expressly intended to dominate the life of an individual in a way which would make satan himself jealous; had his not been the thought behind these ungodly false gods in the first place.

But, none claim the throne of man's heart the way the flesh of man does. Yes, the flesh, that fallen foe of righteousness, exalts itself to the point of fearful worship in the mind of man. Who would deny it? We are taught to fear all things which may even remotely harm the flesh; we groom it, we exercise it, we medicate it, we pamper it, we feed it more than it needs and starve it more than it wants, all in the hopes of keeping the flesh happy and with us; for only the flesh can exile us from the earth upon which we make our abode. So man spends his days seeking to charm the self-cruel master as that enemy of life incessantly wills its own demise. This fear of mortality, brought on by the temporal state of life lived through the body, brings man to exalt the natural and bow before its whims all in the vain hope of pleasing the finicky flesh. We do all we can to worship it lest it chooses to let us down and cause an end to our sojourn here on earth. That end, brought about by the flesh, is a fate all would seek to avoid. It is something all would fear; and as such, it is a god.

A towering tyrant, this flesh is, a giant among the false gods of man; and fear drives the children of Adam to pay it all mind. But what does Torah say to those with ears to hear the words of El Elyon:

"Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name." Deuteronomy 6:13

Time and again we are told, are taught, are urged, and perhaps are even cajoled by scripture to not fear any thing or any one other than the Living God.

From the beginning, from the first pages of Bereshit, the fathers learned to place their fear in God, to place their lives in Him, and the flesh was given its comeuppance in lieu of fear. Faith in HaShem brought low the carnate pretender to our love as trust in God outdid fears of the temporal flesh.

Mortality, the mightiest weapon in the arsenal of terror satanic, saw its power cast asunder and shamed by the undying promise of God made manifest:

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15

The penchant of the mind to long for (worship) the things carnal is why (as Paul said) we need to renew that mind through the indwelling power of God's Spirit as He reveals the Torah unto us. Lest that man of time (the old body) raise his head to places exalted and reserved for only the Holy One of Jacob.

In more than one instance Yeshua spoke the words, "Al tirah" (fear not). The fear expressed by those He was addressing was real but it wasn't giving glory to God. Rather, it was focusing the people on their own frailties and on their inabilities to serve the mortal usurper. And, when we place our thoughts (fears), upon any other than the Torah of God we err into sin. So, Yeshua (the self same Torah) came to restore our right minds and our right standing with God by removing our fear of the problems at hand as He came to deal with them. Al Tirah! Fear no one but God.

The flesh, that vile enemy of both man and God, will indeed pass away and see its own end, but those in Yeshua have a life already removed from the sting of death. They have life in God! They are free from the bondage of fear. Yes, the flesh will pass, but those in Yeshua will not pass away... ever. Amein.

So, the next time you are tempted to fear due to threats to or from the physical remember the words to the old gospel song: "...free at last, free at last, I thank God Almighty I am free at last..."

Al Tirah, my friends, Jesus has set us free!

And remember, "that which you fear ...has become your god." Let us fear the God of Abraham, and none other.