And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." (2 Kings 1:15)
What a shocking verse to be found in the midst of this chapter. We know that Elijah must have been afraid or else God would not have given him these words of comfort. Why was he afraid? He saw the power of God through fire from heaven on multiple occasions. This points out once again that faith does not come from signs and wonders, but from the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
Fear is a powerful emotion, but is it bad? The Bible tells us that fear is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). The problem is not with fear, but in the object of our fear. Fear comes from our understanding that we are not in control. When we are surrounded by 50 military men, like Elijah, we are not in control. When the bank account is empty and the stack of bills is full, we are not in control. When our spouse stops loving us or when we lose a job, we are not in control.
God tells us to not be afraid of the things of this world. Cast our fears on Him and give Him control of our lives. He loves us and wants to direct our path. Peter says it best in 1 Peter 5:6-7, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
We can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit, so we should pray for help.
God, please give me the correct perspective on this world and fear ONLY You. Let me be afraid of walking outside Your will and outside of Your commandments.
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