How many of you have a fear or phobia? I personally have a fear of spiders that comes from lots of stories I heard as a kid about black widows in old, dark basements. I also have a very real fear of open water that comes from a couple of what I refer to as near death experiences I had as a kid….though scary in neither instance was I actually anywhere near death.
We live in a world where we are always being reminded of what we should fear whether real or imagined…often invented. There are lots of voices out there reminding us of what we should be scared of, worried about and/or fearful of. It’s everywhere.
• There are terrorists out there ready to come after us.
• Our government and politicians are out to get us.
• We’re on the verge of the next viral pandemic.
• Our schools are in terrible shape and our kids’ futures are in jeopardy.
• The economy is never going to recover…just look at the unemployment rate.
• The banks are stealing from us. They’re trying to take our homes.
• There’s a tropical storm that’s might turn into hurricane and it might be on its way to South Florida.
Before I get to the core of this morning’s message let me get a bit theological. When I was working on this, I got to thinking about what the Bible actually means when it talks about fear and why it’s actually used so many times. Does it always have a negative connotation?
Did you know that the word fear appears in the Bible over 300 times and the word afraid appears over 200 times while related terms like concern (153), worry/worried (17) and anxious/anxiety (12) appear many more times.
I had a lot of questions so, I consulted with a friend of mine who teaches OT at Bluffton University. He told me that the Bible often uses the word to describe how God’s people felt about God and that the word doesn’t have the same definition today as it did when the Bible was written.
Though the word “fear” is at times meant to describe actual fear or a phobia in the way we generally understand it today, it’s more often used to describe a feeling of faith and devotion such as how it appears in Psalm 128:1 which states that “blessed is he who always fears the LORD, who walks in his blessing.” In the OT devotion and faith meant more than just belief in God. Fear came from understanding that there were consequences for failing to follow the way of God…it was actually viewed as a healthy thing…an essential part of any relationship with God.
As my friend put it, often when the Bible says “fears God” it is saying that the person knows that if he/she perverts justice, he/she will face the consequences of a God who protects the least of society from the potential abuse of the powerful and desires justice from those who believe in God, at whatever level of society. “Fear” here is not the fear of a vengeful God who arbitrarily punishes, but instead “fear” here means belief in a God who will not tolerate the perversion of justice, but will celebrate and bless those who joyously live out their faith, doing justice not for the sake of doing justice, but because they know that they are making the Kingdom of God present and are glorifying the LORD God.
When I started thinking about scriptures for this morning, I came across one that I thought was particularly appropriate…not because of what it says but rather how the protagonist behaves. In this story, the word fear appears only 8 times and the word afraid only 5. Never is the word fear used to describe how this individual felt and only twice is the word afraid used to describe how he felt.
What story did I pick? I picked the story of Moses in Exodus. Specifically, I’d like to focus on Moses and how he behaved from the story of the burning bush (chapter 3) up to roughly chapter 20 when he received the Ten Commandments.
Before moving on, let me point out the only two times, Moses is described as being afraid. The first time Moses was afraid was after he learned that others might know of his killing the Egyptian and the second was when he was afraid to look into the face of God during the story of the burning bush. After the incident with the burning bush neither word is used to describe how Moses felt though clearly other including midwives, Pharoah, officials and Israelites were afraid or fearful at different times.
But again, I want to focus on not what the Bible actually says but how Moses’ actions reflected fear ar at the very least a lack of self-confidence…two related emotions.
Though the Bible doesn’t explicitly say Moses was afraid or fearful, when I put myself in his shoes I can’t imagine how he wouldn’t be anything but. Furthermore, I believe his actions indicate he was in fact afraid of the situation he found himself in….a definitely lacked self-confidence. But what did he do with his fear? I believe God gave him what I will call a tool. Though he stumbled many times because he was human, it ended up being a good thing for him…something that made him think more, work harder and ultimately be the kind of leader that God needed for his people.
About 12 years ago I worked with a guy in London. He was a great guy and our conversations ventured from work to more personal topics. Such as the fact that he was Scottish and wore a kilt at his wedding and other formal function. There’s something about a kilt that is very humorous.
I remember one particular conversation where he told me he was going on vacation…specifically he was headed to Missouri for a sky diving meet…in fact he used most of his vacation time to skydive in different parts of the world…Europe, the US, South Africa, Australia and other far flung places. I thought that was super interesting that he enjoyed skydiving so much that he would travel so much to do it. It turns out that he has participated in some of the largest events and does some of those really complicated formations. He was pretty fanatic about it. So, I asked him how he got into it. This is how fear ties into the story…he told me that he had a deathly fear of heights. In fact, he has trouble getting more than a couple rungs up on a ladder. So, he decided that he’d try to beat his fear but he told me that he failed miserably. You might be asking how can someone that can’t get up on a ladder enjoy skydiving? Excellent question. It’s the same question I had. I was as you probably are now…really confused.
Well, here was his explanation….He told me that he doesn’t mind flying, so the take off and flight isn’t a big deal. In the beginning, there was some angst when he stood up and walked to the door for his jump but his adrenaline won out. When he jumps from 12000 feet, he’s too high to focus on any object on the ground therefore his brain is unable to grasp that he is in fact that high. And by the time he’s close enough to the ground for his brain to register that he is in fact very high and falling very fast, the parachute is open and he knows he is safe. I found it interesting that he still is deathly afraid of heights but is confident jumping from a plane and actually enjoys it immensely because he has the tolls he needs. Admittedly I’ve never been sky diving…the closest I’ve been is a wind tunnel where you float on a cushion of air….which by the way is very cool. But I did follow his lead and took up scuba diving for the same reason. I have a fear of open water and still do…but I enjoy scuba diving immensely.
Why do I share this story? Because I think we can draw a number of parallels between Moses in the exodus story, my friend’s skydiving story….and how we should approach our fears and lack of self confidence.
Well, here’s my take…let’s assume you have a fear of heights.
• In skydiving, there is a coordinator who prepares the equipment including the parachute to ensure that it is properly packed and will up when the rip cord is pulled. In the story of Moses, he had God, who equipped him with the tools he needed to be successful though Moses didn’t always agree with God…including faith (though tested many times), ability to lead, debate skills, wilderness guide, listening skills. These were his jumpsuit, goggles, helmet and parachute. God has also given you the tools you need for your journey…they may not always be self-evident but you have them….the tools, abilities, resources you need to do the things God wants you to do…even if you’re a bit scared of taking the leap.
I think we could almost make an argument that God is like a skydivers parachute. Before jumping the chute is heavy and cumbersome…without it one would be able to get around much more easily. Moses probably thought that all the trials and tribulations were at times too much…that God had too many rules and expectations for him that not realistic. However, once he started on his journey…once he jumped from the plane it no longer seemed like a burden. Do you ever feel like you have parachute on your back…that you are carrying some extra weight or responsibility and aren’t sure why. There is a reason…God has put that extra weight in your life…that weight or what seems to be an extra burden has been given to you for a reason…look for ways to use it even if that means you need to go out of your comfort zone and face fears.
• There is the pilot who gets you positioned properly in the air….the right jump point. Most jumpers can guess where the plane should be when they jump but ultimately they leave it up to the pilot…trusting his judgment, knowledge and experience. God was also Moses’ pilot. He got Moses from the runway to starting point of his journey. The experiences he had from the moment his mother put him in the basket to the moment God spoke to him from the burning bush, were key to the man he would be in Exodus story. In the same way a pilot provides the plane and fuel and ensures that the plane is flight-worthy, God even gave Moses some help from time to time…getting Aaron involved, sending the plagues, parting the Red Sea, providing manna, quail and water and many more things. Do you trust that God is getting you to your starting point or jump point? Whether you realize it or not God is getting you there…you just need pay attention and trust him.
• On the way down, the jump suit protects the sky diver from the cold and the goggles allow the sky diver to see even in the high winds that come from falling at about 122 mph (terminal velocity). On the way down, the diver also faces thermals. If you’ve ever been on a bumpy flight you’ve felt these air currents that are caused by different air temperatures. Moses experienced a number of bumps during his journey. Things didn’t always go smoothly. The Israelites had high expectations, if you’ve ever been in the desert you know it’s not a pleasant place and for a time he was being pursued by the Egyptians, who he knew wanted to do him harm. If you’re like me, life is full of bumps…you don’t always feel in control and you may even from time to time question whether what you are doing is in fact the right thing.
• On the way down, one needs to stay relaxed and trust one’s training, preparation and equipment…a relaxed body allows you to stay in control…keep yourself pointed in the right. But even if you get a bit off course or start to tumble even the most minor body movement/adjustment can get you back on course. Drastic course corrections are rarely needed even in worst conditions. Moses got a bit off course from time to time…not trusting God at times, believing that God was asking him to convey expectations which he believed were always realistic and at times even allowing the “power” to go to his head. However, we find that Moses had to make a number of minor course corrections and relax…trusting that he was prepared and accompanied by God. Do you trust your training and that God is with you at all times?
• When you’re skydiving with others in formation, as my co-worker does. You need to collaborate with them but not get in the way. By working together, beautiful and complex formations can be accomplished. However, you need to be careful because you are so close to others. Even the slightest misstep can mean you bump into others, throwing them off course. Moses was surrounded by lots of people and encountered others while on his journey. He needed to carefully navigate…keeping everyone pointed in the right direction while not letting them throw him off. Are you staying on course or do you find yourself drifting in the direction of others? Are others drifting into you? Do you work with others to make your journey smoother and ensure you stay on the right path?
• After falling for a minute or so, one opens his or her parachute and glides down, steering with a couple handles connected to the chute. This allows you to arrive at the pre-determined landing zone. Even when the destination is clear and your arrival is eminent, one can’t let his/her guard down. Even when Pharaoh released the Israelites, when the Red Sea has receded, when he received the Ten Commandments, Moses didn’t let down his guard. He knew that he needed to give his full effort right up to the end. You have not reached the end of your life journey…but life is full of smaller journeys some are just starting, some are well underway and others are nearing their end. I’d challenge you keep God at your side and don’t let down your guard even if you think the journey is nearing its end.
This brings me back to Exodus. Moses says several things that lead me to believe that he was afraid, not of God, but of his ability to do what God was asking him to do.
Almost immediately, he begins to question God…
• ”Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” 3:11
• “What if I go to them and they ask your name?” 3:13
• “What if they don’t believe me or listen to me?” 4:1
• “I have never been eloquent. I am slow of speech and tongue.” 4:10
• “Please send someone else to do it.” 4:13
I can almost hear Moses saying “but God”. But who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? But what if I go to them and they ask your name? But what if they don’t believe me or listen to me? But I have never been eloquent. But wouldn’t it be better to send someone else?
He’s was probably saying this fearful of what would happen if he didn’t do what God wanted and definitely fearful of what would happen if he did as God asked. He was fearful of pharaoh, fearful of standing in front of his fellow Israelites making grand claims of a better life, fearful that God maybe wouldn’t deliver, fearful of being THE leader.
So, God reassures Moses and works to give him the tools he needs to be successful to get the Israelites to the promised land. He tries to help mitigate Moses’ fear with some reassuring comments that reinforced the fact that God had equipped Moses to be successful.
• “I will be with you.” 3:12
• I’m taking you to the land of milk and honey.” 3:17
• “I’ll make the Egyptians favorably disposed.” 3:21
• He also sent Aaron along to help. “He will speak to the people for you.” 4:16
Moses did always see it that way. He didn’t always feel that he was properly equipped…set up for success. Why….because the journey was a bumpy one and though he was clearly confident at times, there were other times where he was not…times when he clear lacked confidence…was probably fearful….might have been even a little scared. In chapter 5 the Pharaoh takes away the straw the Israelites need to make bricks. How confident do you think Moses was after the 3rd, 5th or 8th plague failed to sway the Pharaoh? How would you feel after the people you are leading start complaining because there was no food or water?
God did everything possible but put some bumps in the road at strategic places because they were needed but was sure to give Moses and the Israelites what they needed to be successful. It’s good to push yourself….to challenge yourself….stand up to your fears and inadequacies.
So, how similar is your journey to that of Moses?
• Do you know where God is leading you? Do you have your parachute? Is God with you on your journey? You may not always know where God is leading you and why. You may also not feel like you are properly equipped. But you should be confident of where God is taking you, be confident that God has pointed you in the right direction, and confidently take God with you on your journey. Sometimes that parachute seems like a burden but remember that’s it’s not…it’s an important tool that you will need during your journey.
• Are you committed to the journey? Are you willing to face the fears you have head on? Are you willing to put yourself out there? Make yourself vulnerable? God knows that you have fears and may not want to take on each journey that is put in front of you. After the journey may be less than smooth and you may need to make course corrections.
It’s okay if you lack self-confidence…even the most confident person questions his/her own abilities from time to time. Fear is a natural emotion that no one is immune to…even Moses. You are you and that lack of self confidence and those fears may or may not go away..even you attack them head on. But always remember that God has equipped you to face them and be successful in your journey. These are healthy emotions that if properly focused are healthy and can be used to help you get to where God wants to be. We just need to follow God and go where he leads us…putting aside our fears.
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