Turning Fear Into Joy

For the past 3 weeks, we have been talking about having a reverent fear of God, about feeling secure from fear in the arms of God, and replacing our fear with courage. Today, we are going to talk about bringing it all together and turning our fears into joy. If we think about it, if we go through a fearful time in our life, when all turns out okay and is settled, we tend to be joyful. I'll tell about a time when my fear turned to joy.

When I was a teenager, my dad, my brother, and I went on a fishing trip in Seadrift, Texas. My dad had an old boat with an old motor but it ran most of the time. We were going to set trot lines out in the bay so we cut across the intercoastal canal out into the bay and went up the coast about 5 mi. We anchored in water that was about 3 ft deep. We spent some time setting all of the trot lines.

It was about 6:00 in the evening and we were ready to head back to the fishing camp. Wouldn't you know it, the motor would not start. We didn't have a radio and there were no cell phones back then. So here we are 5 mi down a coastline about 300 yards from the shore of the long island that separated the bay from the intercoastal canal and the main shore. We decided to walk back as best we could.

The mud was deeper than the water but with poles we were able to test the depth as we took each step. It took us about 2 hours to make it through the mud from the boat to the shore. This was the outer shore of the intercoastal canal. So now we had a 5-mile walk on a rattlesnake-ridden island.

We finally made it to the point of being across from the fishing camp. It was about 1:00 a.m. Luckily, or by the grace of God, a fisherman had come out to check on his boat and we were able to holler at him and he came across and took us across the intercoastal canal to the camp. When we finally got to our bed that early morning, we needed a lot of rest, but our fears were replaced with the joy of finally being back on dry ground.

We all have days when we want to give up. But we have a reason to hope because one day we will rest and enjoy a table prepared for us by Jesus. In our text today, we will be using the book of Zephaniah. The prophet Zephaniah reminds us that fear will be a thing of the past in the eternal kingdom of God. Yes, as the psalmist wrote, there will be joy in the morning. Let's pray. Prayer.

I think that we are all beginning to realize that despite the best efforts of medicine, science, and technology, the world is not becoming a better place. As long as self and sin rule this world, it will only get worse. We can wonder and be afraid of what the future might bring, but we can rest confident in this; this sinful world does not have the final say. For those who trust in Christ, an eternal Kingdom is coming that is free of the things that cause us to be afraid.

During the 7th century BC, when Josiah was King over Judah, Zephaniah came on the scene as a prophet. King Josiah's father and grandfather were evil kings. They encouraged the people to chase after idols and false gods. Yet when Josiah took the throne, he wanted to turn the people's hearts back to the one true God. Let's look now at what God is telling us through the prophet Zephaniah. As the people of God began to turn back to God, God speaks through Zephaniah and says:

Zephaniah 3:9-13 – “For I will then restore pure speech to the peoples so that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with a single purpose. 10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my supplicants, my dispersed people, will bring an offering to me.

******** 11 On that day you will not be put to shame because of everything you have done in rebelling against me. For then I will remove from among you your jubilant, arrogant people, and you will never again be haughty on my holy mountain.”

********12 I will leave a meek and humble people among you, and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord. 13 The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or tell lies; a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will pasture and lie down, with nothing to make them afraid.”