When I Am Afraid... (Destination: Bethlehem, Day 4)

The Bible teaches that we can live free from fear.  And, in this age, where there is so much about
which people are afraid, we can place our trust in God, our protector and deliverer, in Whom we can trust. Psalm 3 says this:
(1b) Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah
3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

Throughout the pages of the Scriptures, we read about God's deliverance - a great example is His supernatural deliverance of the children of Israel, who escaped torment in Egypt, who lived through the plagues, and saw the destruction of Pharoah as he gave chase.  God's hand was upon His people then, and I believe that we do well to trust in Him in days where we can become so consumed with worry and fear about what is taking place on the earth.  His presence can be a strong foundation for us.

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We continue today on our Christmas Advent-ure, this year called, "Destination: Bethlehem."  Stop #4 is Egypt.  The children of Israel were brought to Egypt by one of the sons of Jacob, named Joseph, in order to escape a famine that had come upon them.  And, you can see God's hand in the orchestration of events in preserving His people.

But, it was time for the children of Israel to leave - conditions had become deplorable, and the Egyptians were placing heavy work loads on the Israelites.  God called a man named Moses to lead them out.  He and his brother Aaron approached the Pharoah with the simple message, "Let my people go."  There were 10 demonstrations of God's power in the form of plagues that were sent upon the land of Egypt.  The final one was the plague of the firstborn, where the angel of death was sent to take the lives of the firstborn children - except at the houses of the Israelites, who were instructed to place the blood of a sacrificial lamb on their doorposts.  Following the Passover, the Israelites were led out of Egypt in a marvelous deliverance.

In Exodus 12, we read about the Passover:
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.
13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

This series of events foreshadowed Christ, our Passover Lamb, the perfect sacrifice for our sins, whose blood cleanses us from our sins.

In this dangerous world, where there are seemingly so many threats to our wellbeing and our way of life, we can respond by placing ourselves in the everlasting arms of God.   There's plenty to be afraid of, certainly, and a Chapman University study has identified the top fears of Americans in 2015.

The summary relates that there were 10 "domains" of fear that were identified, and respondents were asked to rate their level of fear on a scale ranging from 1 (not afraid) to 4 (very afraid).  The average score for each domain of fear provides insight into what types of fear are of greatest concern to Americans in 2015.

On average, Americans expressed the highest levels of fear about man-made disasters, such as terrorist attacks, followed by fears about technology, including corporate and government tracing of personal data and fears about the government (such as government corruption and ObamaCare). Here is the ranking, along with the average score:

Man-Made Disasters 2.15
Technology 2.07
Government 2.06
Environment 1.97
Personal Future 1.95
Natural Disasters 1.95
Crime 1.72
Personal Anxieties 1.63
Daily Life 1.51
Judgment of Others 1.31

Interestingly enough, when you look at specific fears, the leading one is government corruption. Here are the top 5 specific fears, and the percentage of Americans who reported being "Afraid" or "Very Afraid" of them:

Corruption of Government Officials 58.0%
Cyber-terrorism 44.8%
Corporate Tracking of Personal Information 44.6%
Terrorist Attacks 44.4%
Government Tracking of Personal Information 41.4%

Chapman University reported on its study of natural and so-called "man-made" disasters, more than half of all Americans [55 percent] fear they will experience a natural or manmade disaster. And some 28 percent fear such a disaster will damage their property.

And, 86 percent of those surveyed believe an emergency supply kit, such as a 72-hour kit recommended by FEMA or the Red Cross would improve their chances of surviving a disaster. Nevertheless, 72 percent have made no effort to put together such a kit.

The Israelites must have been terrified during the last part of their residency in Egypt.  They had been placed into cruel bondage, and then the plagues started...then they were led out and were pursued by Pharoah's army.  But, through it all, God was faithful - He brought deliverance to His people.

And, there's a good lesson here about God's faithfulness to us when we encounter fear.  In this fallen world, we are not immune to evil or negative circumstances, but it is better to have faith in Him than to be eaten up with fear.  We can cling to God's promise of protection, and that can bring hope, peace, and encouragement to our hearts.  

There is a greater form of bondage that Hebrews 2 outlines for us. It says:
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Our hope for the afterlife can bring peace in this life.  We don't have to fear death if we have entered into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.   We can live confidently, boldly, through Jesus Christ and trust in His promises, knowing that He has a better place He is preparing for us.

This passage from Psalm 56 can help shape our thinking:
2 My enemies would hound me all day, For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

Our lives are in God's hands, and when fear enters our consciousness, we can know the supernatural peace that only He can bring.    Jesus came to earth to show us a better way to live and to die on a cross so that we can know His peace.   God preserved the people of Israel, and shows us that when chaos and disaster is all around us, we can remain steadfast in faith, reliant on Him.