There is a fear that is gripping this land and while some may feel this is unpleasant and undesirable – it is of the Lord.
Especially in this past year, intercessors have been praying that the Fear of the Lord would permeate the atmosphere over our nation and, indeed, this is what we are experiencing. Many who are saying they “are afraid” are actually experiencing the Fear of the Lord. They may think it is the fear of man or what “man” might do to them, but it is actually the Fear of the Lord that is working in their hearts and minds.
Last year I had an open vision within a dream about this happening. You can read the entire word here. In this vision, I knew I was seeing God’s glory begin to cover the earth and it carried with it the Fear of the Lord. For those whose hearts were aligned to His, it was glorious and resulted in awe and worship. But, for those whose hearts were divided and set against Him, it brought dread and terror.
The very thing that many are trying to prevent or “fix” is actually the very tool that the Lord is using to cause godly conviction to rest upon men’s hearts. What they are “fearing” is not man, but God Himself. Especially for those whose conscience is seared due to sin and rebellion, they are the ones voicing it the loudest. Without understanding the cause for their fears, they will continue to slide into rebellion and totally miss the mercy of God.
“Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary” (Isaiah 8:12-14, NIV)
We need to pray that this Fear of the Lord continues to rest upon our nation in order to cleanse hearts and renew minds. It is only the Fear of the Lord that can fix the crack in the foundation of our country due to sin and rebellion against God in high places.
“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” (Exodus 20:18-20, NIV)
Our collective mindset has become so entrenched in the fear of man that we have lost the true Fear of the Lord.  Our culture has taught us to so fear offending one another, we have ended up offending God! This is why the Fear of the Lord is so powerful in bringing the sons and daughters to the Father. It is meant to keep our hearts pure and holy before Him in order to receive our full inheritance and blessing. It is not sent for punishment or subjection, but for our good, our prosperity, and our joy.
“Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”  (Psalm 25:12-14, NIV)
We can encourage those who are feeling afraid by directing them to the heart of a loving Father. This fatherless generation needs an encounter with the Father’s love! The freedom that they are longing for will not come by doing as they please, but in recognizing this immense Love and Goodness. The identity they are looking for can only be found in Him. The fear they believe is coming from man can be transformed into a thing of beauty once they have a revelation of the Father’s heart.
“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” (Oswald Chambers)
Yes, be afraid! But, fear not! Our Father is drawing us closer to His heart in order to manifest His glory in unprecedented ways. Do not avoid this, but embrace it and let it do it’s work. Yield to His Lordship and trust in His unfailing love to dispel every other fear until there is nothing left but His glory.
One Response
GREAT word. Thanks for the insight! Just talking with Hubby about fear and anxiety of the world during the Presidential transition, however, didn’t see it for what it clearly IS. The Fear of the Lord, the beginning of Wisdom! WooHOOOOO!!! Blessings! Edie Bayer