Seize the Moment – Day 449
The Power of Fear!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, June 9.
Fear is a powerful motiving force!
I know this from personal experience. For example, when I was in the US Army Airborne School, I had moments of fear that I would not be landing in the airplane that I was flying in. But, as a 19-year old West Point Cadet, my fear of the power of those in authority over me was greater than my fear of death.
What do you fear?
Fear can be used for good or evil. Egypt used it for evil to enslave the growing nation of Israel after the deaths of Joseph and his brothers. Listen to the new Pharaoh leverage fear in Exodus 1:8-10,
Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”
Pharaoh used fear to get his people to agree to enslaving a whole ethnic group of people. Furthermore, the Pharaoh’s intensifying fear of the Hebrews caused him to command the murder of every male baby. He commanded the midwives do this in verse 16, but watch how they respond in verse 17, “But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.”
These women defied Pharaoh’s evil order. They put their own lives at risk and faced the most powerful person in their world. Why? Because there fear of God was greater than the fear of their own death!
Seize the moment and put God first in every area of your life. The fear of the Lord has the power to cast out all fear!