Fear means different things to different people depending on the situation. Do you fear God? Which kind of fear do you have for God? Positive or Negative fear? Positive fear is being in reverence and awe of God’s presence. However, negative fear is similar to a phobia: you are scared of God.
Although unspoken, a lot of people are scared of God. There’s something that frightens them of the one I’ve come to love. I remember there was a time, I was also scared of Him.
Do you remember the article “The God everyone should know about”? If you don’t, You should read it here. This article will be its continuation.
You know, sometimes it won’t make sense why you’re so scared of someone or something. Although, at other times, you know why you are terrified. I know what triggered the fear; My childhood memories and a certain verse about God being a consuming fire.
Is God really a consuming Fire?
When I first read the verse, a lot of things went through my mind as a growing Christian. Imagine what would go through the mind of a baby Christian. The realisation that the one deemed merciful and just can also be a consuming fire was on another level for me.
For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God Deuteronomy 4:24
Now, I can look back and tell you that it was a huge misunderstanding on my path. After praying and looking for answers, God finally opened my eyes to see what that verse meant. Out of context, the verse will say to you that God is a consuming fire.
Within the context of Deuteronomy 4:15-24, you see that the people are warned to avoid serving other Gods. While subsequently portraying God as a jealous God who will consume anything in His path to His child or love.
I’d like to lay emphasis on context being important because anything out of the right context will misrepresent the right meaning.
Depending on the situation, God will show up as a consuming fire. There are so many examples in the Bible where God is portrayed as a consuming fire. One example is in Deuteronomy 9:3, where the people of Israel were told God will go ahead of them as a consuming fire.
‘Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you … Deuteronomy 9:3
How has God been presented to you?
Are you scared of God because of something someone told you? There may be many scenarios where someone misrepresented who God is to you. That encounter may have been brief but it left a lasting impression.
My fellowship members and I were speaking about the Fear of God on Sunday. Someone brought up the fact that some movies scarred her because of the visual representation of God.
As a child, I remember watching movies from the same production house. Although they had an atom of truth to them, it left me with a scary fear of God and a mind full of doubts.
How has God been portrayed to you? Did it leave wounds that do not want to heal? It doesn’t matter how God was portrayed to you; I would like to tell you about God afresh.
The one who loves you
When I started my blog, I wrote a series on Finding God. There were 5 articles in total; I completed it with My own story of finding God. You can find the links below:
These articles aren’t just articles to me, they remind me of God’s love. I also want them to remind you of the love that God has for you. Regardless of what you may have heard of God or perhaps seen, I want to show you something else.
Revelations
For a really long time, I had been scared of the book of Revelations -the last book of the Bible. Growing up, I heard a lot of things about Revelations. Actually, I wasn’t even mentally prepared for it (Thank God for growth).
During the lock-down, the Holy spirit directed me to study Revelations. Whilst studying, I had an encounter with God. In that dream, God showed me He wasn’t running after me but running with me.
Whenever you are scared of something, there’s a thought that it’s running after you. God wants me to let you know that He is running with you not after you. Consequently, God doesn’t want to catch up with you, He wants to go there with you.
It doesn’t matter what you heard before this, God wants you; all of you. He wants to speak to you at all times, show you unimaginable things and just love you continuously.
He loves you and wants to show you, nothing more.
‘There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. ‘ I John 4:18
Sacrificial love
Something happened to me last week; I had to make a sacrifice to enable my friendship work. I didn’t see it coming, I was thinking this is probably the end of the road. In fact, I was already praying that God should let it end smoothly.
In the process, God let me know that relationships take being intentional and some sacrifice. I was preparing to run away but God reminded me that He sticks through everything with me.
God doesn’t expect you to be just like Him; He wants you to know that He’s there at every point even in fear. He’d like to peel off the layer of fear you carry and show you the layer of love that’s always there.
What exactly are you looking at?
How you choose to look at God determines everything; Will you focus on God’s love that’s always available to you? or Will you focus on the barrier of fear you have that won’t let you past it?
Choose God not fear, then watch Him change everything.
Read the previous article: The need to be heard: Why should I listen to you?
3 Responses
Great post Funmi!! Is the production house mount zion? I remember being so scared to even hear the opening sound of their movies 😂
Thank you Seyi ❤️, I’ve missed your comments. I didn’t mention any names ooo, but it was Mount Zion. They are doing better these days but you should watch the movies during the day 😅