By Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God (II Timothy 1:6-8).
At this time, we are in a chaotic chapter in our nation’s history. There are many questions being asked with no answers on the horizon.
When will this pandemic end?
Is our economy going to hit rock bottom?
Where are we headed politically?
Will we see the America we have known and loved again?
These are questions that produce fear, even in the hearts of believers. It is so important that we know where fear comes from so we can properly deal with it.
I John 4:18 says, “fear hath torment.” Scripture says God does not tempt us. If He doesn’t tempt us, then why would He torment us? Obviously, He would never torment us. Therefore, fear does not come from God: Satan is the source of fear. God gives us good things.
Firstly, He gives us power — power to fight the enemy of our souls. Greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. Jesus is saying to us exactly what He said to the disciples in Luke 10:19: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” We need to interpret this Scripture in the spiritual context that it is written. We can handle whatever Satan throws at us because of the power our Lord has given us.
Secondly, He gives us love. Again, I John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.” There is no love more perfect than the love of our Heavenly Father. If we believe He loves us, it follows that we believe He will take care of us no matter the chaos that surrounds us.
Finally, he gives us sound minds. I Corinthians 14:33 says, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” There is a lot of confused thinking in our society; thinking that breeds discontent and aggression. God enables us to think clearly so that we have peace of mind instead of a constant war going on in our heads.
Yes, on the surface there are fearful events occurring almost daily. However, we need to see past that to the spiritual warfare that is being waged. As Christians, we are not powerless. God Almighty is on our side. He provides the power, love, and soundness of mind to enable us to be victorious no matter how difficult the battle.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 