As I skimmed through this written sermon I thought, "Yeah fear causes us to do a lot of things that are sin." I know that fear can affect me negatively in the business of making deals. I can trust that God will protect me, even from dishonest people.
I have to be aware and keep my eyes open. I do not have to let it get personal as I do so often. Lord I am trying to do better.
We can look a the newspaper and get fearful. I think to myself, "I will not be here to see some of the awful stuff that is going to happen." I read a funny caption, "Obama thinks we are going to tax ourselves into prosperity." Yeah it's funny but it also hits too close to home. Are some crazy economic ideas going to ruin this country? I get fearful.
DW speaks of testing. I hope that when I am tested that I can still say, "God is faithful and he loves me." In younger days I would get mad at God when I was feeling tried and when I did not know how I was going to solve a big problem. Now I still get fearful but I do know God loves me and I will get through it somehow. My emotion may still be panic. So I still have a lot of learn.
It seems to me that without a bit of fear I would get nothing done. If I had no sense of worry I'm afraid I would simply be a lazy slouch. I need an external force to drive me. There must be something missing.
DW mentioned that great preacher C. H. Spurgeon had great bouts of depression, melancholy is was called in his day. He fought against it by reading the psalms and taking to heart the promises found there. "Faith come from hearing, and hearing from the world of God." I think that is what I am saying when I speak of remembering God's faithfulness and love. The psalms but I think of Paul's letters. Jesus too often spoke of God's faithfulness, "Remember, little flock, God knows the number of hairs on your head. Does he not care about what you will eat and what you will drink?" Yes he does care.
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