Focus: Matthew 10:28 - KJV
28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Psalms 118:5-9
Fear is a torment. Many men love to be feared of fellow men. It is the fear of men that makes others tell a lie concerning matters, even though the promise of God is that no liar will inherit the Kingdom of God. When men lie, it suggests that they fear the man for whose purpose they do so, more than they fear the Lord. In the meantime, the maximum a man can do to one, no matter the standing or sagacity, is to kill the body. On the other hand, even though God does not operate in the killing ministry, He can allow the killer not only to kill the body, but also consign the soul to hell. Imagine Peter, a bosom companion of Christ, because of the threat that may come to his body while seeing what was being done to his friend, could only deny the Lord in fear, claiming “I never knew Him’. What a terrible state to be found in. Many are in that situation today: they will rather deny the Lord and live, than face the threat of death in the hands of mere men, yet affirm Jesus.
The three Hebrew boys were not so. They saw the threat of being roasted in an overheated furnace but will not deny their God. They refused to fear man and his decrees. They rather feared God knowing He is able to save them eternally. He did not only save them from the furnace, those who brought them to such situation were substituted in their stead. While those who feared God lived, those who planned their extinction were roasted instead. Daniel’s case was similar: he prayed to his God and it became a sin against his king, for which he was consigned to the den of fierce lions, because he feared God instead of men. He came out unarmed but those who wanted to compel him to fear men and disregard God, were substituted in his place in the den. When Peter too caught the vision, he preached before all and acknowledged Christ whom he hitherto denied and no power was able to hurt him for it.
Beloved, what manner of power would cause us to deny and fear not God but man? It can only happen as a result of not knowing the God whom we serve. That lie that you told to put someone else in trouble so that you or another may be free is done in wickedness and has gross repercussion, if not quickly recanted. A lie is a lie no matter how simple it appears and every liar is a child of the devil who lied from the beginning. When we lie, we affect the flow of God’s purpose and therefore, stand against Him and His will. It is better to live in the fear of God who, though loves us, loves also the person we stand to hurt with our lie and denial of God, and therefore will punish every unrighteousness, in the end. Him whom we fear (respect, revere, honor) we will not despise.
SOLUTION: Never because of what a man can do lie to put the head of another to the guillotine. God sees everything we do. Do not fear man more than you fear God. Fear God and do His will, always.
Please pray: Father, I thank you for letting me know you as the Almighty God. Please help me to fear you more than any man, living or dead, in Jesus’ name. Whatever I had done in the past to fear any man more than I did you, please forgive today, in Jesus’ name. Help me to stand firmly in your fear for the rest of my life, in Jesus, name.
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name.
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