Good morning. If we were to take a moment and consider what we are afraid of would the list be long or short? Do our fears reflect concern for ourselves or for others? Are our fears concerning personal miseries and pain? Are our fears concerned with what others might do or what they think of us? Do we fear that step into what the world calls, “the great unknown”, what comes to us when this physical life is past?
1 John 4:18 makes an incredible statement about fear: There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives fear away. Fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
As the love of God becomes ever more certain in our hearts and minds fear is crowded out. When the certainty of the love of God becomes dominant in us, fear is beaten.
Years ago, I sat at the side of a hospital bed as a dear Christian lady shared with me what was in her heart. She knew that her physical life could be measured in hours. She did not ask me to join her in prayer for a change in her condition. Just the opposite was true. She squeezed my hand and said, “I get it now, I finally understand.” Naturally, I wanted to know what it was that after a long Christian life she now understood. “What Paul said to Timothy, I get it!” She was referring to 2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Mabel passed away about an hour later, but not until her two daughters had arrived to spend some moments with her. Perfect.
Mabel taught me several valuable lessons. She was a mature Christian with great patience and a heart with abundant love. But those moments near the end of her physical life will always stay with me. As far as I could tell, she had no fear. That is a very remarkable thing to say about someone when you think about it, but for Mabel I believe the words are very accurate. Perfect love had driven out any remnant of fear and all that was left was a joyful expectation of greater blessings to come.
I hope that everyone who reads this thought for the day is able to see the joyful hope that God brings to us. The number of steps remaining for any of us in this physical journey is widely varied, often dependent on our present age or circumstances. But what is offered in the above scriptures is universally true and wonderful.
Whatever we face today or tomorrow, even in matters of life and death, God has us covered. The perfect love of God displaces the fears of this world. Ultimately, there is nothing else, only love and victory.
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