The Magnetic Force Of Fear Series

Fear vs. Faith – 6

“The Magnetic Force of Fear”

Job 3:25

In 1875, a fall fractured both of Trench’s knees, after which he never fully recovered his health, living in fear of paralysis. A lady sitting next to him at dinner noticed that the elderly cleric was agitated and muttering to himself, “It’s come at last; I can’t feel a thing; I’m paralysed.” She asked Trench what was wrong. “I’ve been pinching my leg for the last five minutes and I can’t feel a thing,” he replied. “I must be paralysed.” The lady coloured, saying, “It’s alright, your grace, it is my leg you have been pinching.”

Job is one of the most misinterpreted books of the Bible. We all have our own philosophy and opinion on how Job got so sick and lost all his children. We all excuse sickness in our life and loss in our lives just by the life of Job. Whatever the Lord’s will for my life is, that is what I am willing to endure. That is fine to say and each of us should want the Lord’s will in our lives, however, there are some things that are in Scripture that is God’s direct will for each and every believers life. When it comes to sickness, we say, “if it be your will, Lord.” His Word already says it is His will, so we don’t have to wonder if it is or not.

Some old-time, religious folks like to believe that God strikes us with calamity and sickness. We have been through this before, but God gives life, not death and sickness. We use the story of Job to prove that God is the One that allows sickness into our lives. In order for us to be healed, we have to first understand, that it is not God who makes us sick. I am going to prove you wrong when it comes to Job’s life and God allowing Job to be sick. The book of Job is a prime example of why we should get rid of fear in our lives. We should drive fear out of our lives because there is an unchanging spiritual principle that is still true today. “Fear becomes a magnet to attract the thing you dread the most.” One of the first times that we find this principle is in the book of Job.

I. WHAT I HAVE GREATLY FEARED . . .

Napolean Bonaparte once said, “He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.

Michel de Montaigne said; “The man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.”

Job 3:25; “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” (KJV)

Job 3:25, “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.” (NKJV)

Contrary to popular religious belief, the terrible things that happened to Job did not unexpectedly happen because the devil got permission from God to bring those things to pass in Job’s life. Job had been living for years in fear and dread of those things happening. In fact, one of the first things we are told about Job is that he was, “continually” offering sacrifices for his children. He was afraid they might have committed some awful sin.

Job 1:4-5; ¶ “And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.”

Job was a man that was consumed with fear. By these two Scriptures we find that Job was afraid his children were going to curse God. He was also afraid that he was going to lose everything as a result. Job was offering sacrifices for his children just in case they were doing wrong. The Bible doesn’t say that they were doing anything wrong, but Job was so paranoid that he thought that he would cover it just in case. Let’s start reading where we left off and find out what else happens. First, we find that Job is making sacrifices on a continual basis even though he doesn’t need to because of his own fear.

Job 1:6-12; ¶ “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord”