1 KINGS 19:1-3: And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the
prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me,
and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And
when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and
left his servant there.
Unfounded fear can cause us great harm. Vance Havner used to tell the story of a man who
accidentally wandered into a cemetery one night. When he realized where he was, he got out of there
in record time, stumbling over tombstones, falling down and scratching himself in the bushes.
The next morning someone asked him, “Don’t you know that ghosts can’t hurt you?” “I know that,” he
replied, “but they can sure make you hurt yourself.”
Like the man’s in the cemetery, Elijah’s fears were also unfounded. The same God who kept him safe
in the midst of 450 prophets of Baal was certainly able to protect him from the wrath of the wicked
Queen Jezebel.
Yet his fears caused him to compromise his testimony and prevented God from demonstrating His
power against wickedness in high places. Instead of trusting God to protect him, Elijah fled into the
wilderness. How foolish!
Did you know that fear is one of the major causes for disobedience among Christians? God’s Word is
filled with promises of His provision (Phil. 4:19) and our protection (Ps. 91). Yet we often fail to
accomplish God’s will because we are afraid that we will be physically harmed or financially humbled
in the process. This is foolish as well.
Are you facing fear today? Perhaps you are afraid of losing your job, of developing cancer or being
left by your spouse. At times all of us experience fear. But don’t allow fear to keep you from being
used by God. He has kept you thus far; trust Him for the rest of the way.
THE ONLY KNOWN ANTIDOTE TO FEAR IS FAITH.