In the famous American classic “the Red Badge of Courage” which takes place during the American Civil War, a young soldier is drilling and preparing with his regiment to go into battle. Days and weeks pass and just drilling. Finally, the day comes when they go marching out. He’s terrified. They march to the front lines and begin shooting. Things go well until the enemy begins charging. The young man is so terrified of losing his life that he turns and runs the other way as fast as he can. Humiliated - a coward! Later, as he returns to his regiment, he discovers that he’s not the only one. Many others tried to run – many others were terrified. Many others failed. In the midst of a calling, the greatest enemy is fear!
Abraham answered God’s call – he finally left his homeland and his relatives and went down the road on which God had called him. This was a huge step of faith for a man who grew up as a pagan in a pagan land worshipping other gods. But as we saw last week – there was one thing that gave Abraham the strength to set out and follow God’s call: the promises – I will give you a land. I will make of you a great nation. I will make you a blessing to all the nations. When he heard that – he followed God. He was a changed man.
It’s the promises of God’s word that change our hearts – they produce faith in our heart. Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Notice the change in this man who is standing on God’s promises. Gen. 12:7-8 “Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.”
Abraham has finally arrived to the land of promise and God essentially tells him: STOP. How? He says “To your offspring I will give this land.” Imagine the joy to hear this promise. This is our new home! This is the place of God’s calling! How does he react? With WORSHIP.
He builds an altar in that very place and then further south also. He calls on the name of the Lord. He gives glory to his Master and King. Now let me ask you – has anything changed? Has Abraham received any of the promises of God? Does he have the land? NO. Is he a great nation? NO. Is he a blessing to all the nations? NO. Then why does he worship? Because he KNOWS God keeps his promises. He trusts the Lord.
You too should worship God not just because he has done something for you, but because he is faithful to his Word to you. Reading the promises of God should produce in your heart such joy, such amazement, such faith that you can’t help but shout to the Lord in praise and worship!
This brings such joy to our Father’s heart. But God’s goal is that we grow in our faith and trust in his promises. How will he bring about a greater faith and trust? Through testing. Through hardship. Can you trust the Lord in the midst of trials?
And so this is what God does with Abraham – he tests Abraham’s faith in the promises. Notice the first trial: “Now there was a famine in the land.” What land is that? The land of promise. We don’t know how long Abraham and Sarai were in the land – it could have been weeks or months but it wasn’t long and soon this very land of God was not providing food for them.
It was so exciting traveling across the world to the Czech Republic back in ‘95. I was learning the language, the new culture, preparing to be married and excited about discipling others in the Lord. But half a year later it was like hitting a brick wall. I missed speaking in English. I missed my family. I found myself more a burden for others than a blessing since I couldn’t communicate in Czech without a translator. I was ready to go home – to abandon the call.
Abraham did that very thing – he packed his bags and left for Egypt – the closest land with food. There were times in the Old Testament when God’s people go to Egypt in times of famine. Remember how Jacob’s sons went to Egypt for food and it saved the whole family and Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Egypt for protection. It was God’s will. But with Abraham, it was another case. Did he consult the Lord? Did God call him to leave the land? Abraham gives into his fears instead of faith.
The greatest enemy of faith is fear. Fear is an internal warning cry that danger is nearby and you had better do something about it. Someone suspicious is outside your house – you fear it may be a burglar so you call 911. The road is icy, so icy that you are afraid you might crash the car so you stay home. The water is deep, over your head and you are afraid that if you jump in, you might sink and never come up. Some fears are irrational, others are helpful protecting our lives. But the enemy, Satan, uses fears to blind us to the truth and to blind us to seeing God. He puts those thoughts in our mind of disaster and loss. And that is why it is so hard to follow after God. It’s a spiritual battle.
Fear blinds us to God’s hand of provision.
In what ways does fear blind us to God? First of all it blinds us to God’s hand of provision. Notice Abraham’s fear – it’s a famine. No food. He looks ahead and sees that this famine may go on for many months. How will he provide for his family? How will he provide for himself? What if he can’t and they die of hunger? Fear turns to worry when it’s internalized – we start imagining the worst. There will be no way to pay the bills. We’ll have to declare bankruptcy. I’ll lose my job. I’ll have to shop using food stamps. We see our tombstone with the date already chiseled into the granite.
Yes, Abraham gave into his fear and didn’t trust God’s provision in the promised land. No sooner did he arrive and he left God’s calling.
The question is this: Will God really provide for you? Do you really trust in Him to do that? Do you serve the same God who caused manna to fall from heaven for 40 years? I can hear the response: “What? Do you expect me to believe that God will fill my fridge with manna when I can’t pay for groceries?” No – not manna – but he WILL provide all that you need. We pray “Give us this day our daily bread!” Do you mean it? Do you believe it?
I remember just a few years ago when we were struggling so much financially. The dollar had plunged in value and we lost about 1/3 of the value of our money and were wondering if we would have to return back to the States. So we were praying for God’s provision. A small example of how God began to answer that took place just a few days later. In Poland during the potato harvest in the fall, they deliver huge bags of potatoes to homes as a staple food for the winter. One day, one of the trucks lost a bag and it spilled out over the gravel road next to our house. We weren’t starving, but some of those potatoes provided for our evening meal thanks to the Lord’s provision.
Jehovah-Jireh – my provider. Your grace is sufficient for me. Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Fear blinds us to God’s protection (God won’t protect my life)
A second way that fear blinds us to God is that we don’t see His protection. Notice what happens when Abraham starts going the route of fear by leaving the land. It grows and takes root once again in another area: 12:11-13 “When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, "I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake."
Now that the seed is planted in Abraham, he’s more fearful. Now he’s worried about his life. He starts asking the “what ifs.” What if they notice my wife? What if they want her for Pharaoh’s court? What if they find out I’m her husband? What if Pharaoh realizes that the only way to have her is to kill me? What if they kill me to get Sarai?
The ‘what ifs’ have an immediate paralyzing effect. We are always looking for the disaster ahead. We sense that we are in great danger. Now this doesn’t mean that we don’t avoid danger – we are not to risk our lives foolishly as many do today just for the adrenaline rush. We’re careful with our lives – we drive safe cars, buckle our seat belts, lock our front door, have regular doctor appointments, erect a flood wall near the Minnesota river. But falling prey to the ‘what ifs’ results in continual and persistent worry. What is worry? John Ortberg defines it this way: “Worry is fear that has unpacked its bags and signed a long-term lease. Worry never moves out of its own accord – it has to be evicted.”
How do you evict worry? You surrender your life, your security into God’s hands. Psalm 34:1-4 “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
Notice two things here: First, that the Lord promises deliverance as we praise his name. I guarantee that praise and worship calms our fears and worries. In the face of fear, faith rises up as God’s Spirit fills you.
Secondly notice what the deliverance is from. Not from death, nor from the enemy – but from the greatest problem we have – our own fears. You see the enemy that we have to deal with is not our problem itself – but our fears of the enemy. Put our fears in God’s hands. And trust in faith!
Fear blinds us to others
A third way that fear blinds us – is that we lose sight of those around us when we are afraid. What did Abraham do in response to this fear of losing his life? He lied. Actually he half-lied by saying that Sarah was his sister (she was really his half-sister). But he definitely hid the truth that she was his wife. Why? To save his skin! It seemed the only way out.
What was the consequence? Yes, he saved his life. But he also communicated that Sarah was available to be taken. 12:14-16 “When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.”
He was blind to the consequences of his actions. He lost his wife to another man. He caused her to commit adultery – leading her into sin. He broke his covenant with her. And on top of that he was giving up the covenant promise with the Lord that he would be a great nation. Since his wife was gone, he couldn’t have a child. No child – no nation – no blessing upon the nations. What a price to pay!
And this is the hidden tragedy of fear. When you are in fear and are controlled by it, you believe that you’re the only one affected by it. It’s an issue between me, myself, and I. That’s simply not true. Fear is self-centered and not God centered – not neighbor centered. It’s a reaction of self-preservation and does not act in love toward others.
And so how do we deal with this blind self-centered fear? Get your eyes off yourself! Abram, look at your wife! Be faithful to her! Stand strong and courageous for the sake of those around you. Think of their needs first. 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” And again, just like we saw in Psalm 37 – we praise the Lord – we love him in the face of fear. We serve others and love them and give ourselves to them in the face of fear.
Do you believe God will take care of you?
What is the worst that can happen? Will God provide for you?
If you die – is that the end of the world?
God calls on us simply to trust – life isn’t easy, painless, but God is a good Father and he WILL see every one of you through. Let go of your fears and put your eyes on your maker and Redeemer.
