When I saw [the Son of Man],
I fell at his feet as though dead.
But he laid his right hand on me, saying,
"Fear not ..."
~ Revelation 1:17 (ESV)
I fell at his feet as though dead.
But he laid his right hand on me, saying,
"Fear not ..."
~ Revelation 1:17 (ESV)
Fear Not Surrender
"And it shall be, in that day," Says the LORD, "That you will call Me 'My Husband,' And no longer call Me 'My Master,'
~ Hosea 2:16 (NKJV)
Whether ancient or foreign, some cultures do not ask a woman's consent to marriage—betrothals involve agreement between bridegroom and bride's father. Yet honorable men have nonetheless given a woman the option to accept or reject a husband. (One example is Rebekah.)
Once wedded, some men might approach a bride with the attitude, "I now receive what is mine." An honorable man will approach the virgin gently, bidding her to surrender and fear not.
Fear of the Lord is not an outdated Old Testament concept, but is also urged in the New Testament. His church's reverent fear is received by a Bridegroom Who says, "Fear Not."
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
~ 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
More than any other imperative, the Bible records Jesus directing us "Do not fear," "Do not worry," "Do not be anxious." We approach God with fear knowing that He will still it.
We surrender not as an enemy who has been vanquished, but as a bride who is beloved.
Lord Jesus, please help each of us to see which areas of our lives hold fear of surrender to You. Please speak gently to us, and enable us to give You all.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com Comments or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image from album "Face Down" by Matt Redman, mattredman.com
I think there are times when I'm afraid but it is masked as something else...anger, disappointment, hurt, etc. I love that God addressed our tendency to fear. It's just one more way it shows how much our God knows us.
ReplyDelete~ Wendy
How tenderly He loves us ... and draws us.
ReplyDeleteI am constantly bouncing between fear and God's assurance in my life. It is hard to give up fear but I rest on the scripture that you posted from 2 Tim daily! It is an extremely comforting scripture when I am standing in fear. It is what has enabled me to go back to school this year. Great post! ♰
ReplyDeleteAmen. Thank you, Anne.
ReplyDeleteWe surrender not as an enemy who has been vanquished, but as a bride who is beloved.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent statement. I will preach it!
May I give You all Father, not just bits and pieces.
ReplyDeleteWendy ~ I agree that fear (pride too) masquerades as many other things. It was a startling thing for me to study all the imperatives Jesus spoke and realize how often He didn't direct anything more than "Fear Not." I wonder what it was like for Him to walk in human flesh without fear.
ReplyDeleteSusan ~ Tenderness—isn't that what a woman wants from a man? So Almighty God came to earth and called Himself "Shepherd" and "Bridegroom" to convey His gentleness.
Mary ~ Is this from the same lady who used to do pizza delivery with three large angels on board? You're one of the bravest people I know. You've no idea how I admire you.
Jason ~ I have GOT to find out what happened to your blog. You're not in my reader anymore ...
Bible Lover ~ Did I say that? Wow. That's cool. (And thanks.)
Denise ~ Just a little more each day. Hope you're well, dear.
A lot of times fear births surrender. I like how you've illustrated this.
ReplyDeleteAnne, I followed you over from HCB. Thank you for your kind words there. Over the last 7 years I have learned so much about surrender. Indeed it is an act of not only trust, but of strength and freedom.
ReplyDeleteBlessings.
T ~ I once heard a preacher say the Lord doesn't ask for surrender. I sorrowed that the man only knew the surrender birthed by fear.
ReplyDeleteSimple Country Girl ~ I've seen you around. Nice to see you hear. I like what you say about the strength of surrender, and the freedom—simply beautiful. : )