WHOM DO YOU FEAR? Kay Keith Peebles 1/10/2020 20.02
Thirty years ago I was told a story about a horrible prison camp on a dense tropical island where there was no chance of escape. The worst prisoners were sent there never expecting to be released. Conditions were intolerable. The mosquitoes and other insects were relentless while streams and lakes were filled with snakes and toxic creatures. The thick underbrush was impenetrable because of its sharp jagged blades that had been left untouched for decades. Escape meant signing your death warrant. Consequently, the hope of freedom was dead on arrival to this island.
Little food grew in the area causing the prisoners to be malnourished. The guards received extra food when a boat arrived to deliver new prisoners but it didn’t last long. Fresh water was only available when it rained. Large barrels were stationed around the camp to collect the rainwater which quickly became rancid. All who lived on the island were plagued with parasites which meant a slow and difficult death. Needless to say, hopelessness reigned in everyone’s heart.
After each prisoner had served a few years of his time, the warden would bring him into his office and explain the Green Door. The men would enter from one end of the building but at the other end was a Green Door with a huge lock securing it. The warden would explain to the prisoner he was offering him a way of escape. He could choose to remain on the island the rest of his life or hope to escape through the Green Door. When asked what was behind the Green Door the warden simply replied, “No one knows.” “We have never seen or heard from the person once he chose to go through the Green Door. It could be sudden death, terrible suffering or freedom. I simply don’t know. It’s your choice whether you stay here or risk everything to go through that door.”
The prisoner then asked the warden how many prisoners chose the Green Door. The warden told him only one in one hundred attempted to go through the Green Door. The prisoner stood in mental torment as he contemplated choosing the door but after several minutes, he sadly shook his head and said “I’ll stay here.” As bad as life was at the prison camp, at least it was life. The unknown behind the door was too scary for him.
Had the prisoner known there was a boat with food, fresh clothing and everything he needed to gain his full freedom behind the Green Door it would have been an easy choice. The only thing that kept him from his freedom was his fear of the unknown. I was told this story but do not know the name of the author. My attempts to identify the author have been unsuccessful. The story stuck with me all these years. It was powerful and impactful, provoking much thought.
Fear stifles our judgment at best and totally cripples all our ability at worst! There are many types of fear. Like the Green Door, it can be fear of the unknown but I want to address the fear of man in this article.
Anyone who has been the victim of someone abusive has had a cruel introduction to the fear of man. Anytime someone is exercising their power over another the fear of man comes into play. Whether it is physical abuse or emotional abuse through manipulation and control, fear of man can arrest the victim permanently without the Lord’s help. It can be as simple as peer pressure from school friends or from a boss attempting to entice us to do what we know is wrong. If a person is insecure regarding who they are, or unsure of their own identity, the fear of man can be a huge destructive influence in their lives.
I grew up with a healthy fear of my parents. I chose not to do many things because of that fear. Some fear of punishment is good because it keeps us on the narrow path. The Bible says, “The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7.
True wisdom and knowledge exude from the fear of the Lord. This fear is good because God LOVES us! He created us to become a part of His family. He died for us so that we could be born again into His likeness, His image, and belong solely to Him through a relationship of love and trust. Our well-being and protection is incumbent upon our fear of the Lord. His continual presence, instruction and direction is dependent upon our fear of the Lord!
The fear of the Lord keeps us from being fearful of mankind. “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28.
“The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” Proverbs 14:27.
Our world is in chaos and that will not change because the Lord is coming back soon! We may live in the midst of the chaos but the Lord will keep us in perfect peace as we set our mind and heart upon Him. The chaos is a combination of worldly factions clamoring for dominion. The method used is manipulation through false accusation, name calling and intimidation. That is the voice of the “accuser of the brethren” and witchcraft. Those who are insecure and walk in the fear of man will feel the intimidation and try to defend themselves or they will cave and join ranks, surrendering their beliefs and moral standards. They are not secure enough in their faith to take a stand no matter the cost.
Israel did this very thing and the Lord sent Prophets to warn them of God’s imminent judgment which would come without repentance. One prophet he used was Hosea. God considered the fear of man which caused him to sin, to be equal with adultery. Hosea was called to marry a prostitute exposing the spirit of adultery by breaking God’s covenant of moral purity, faithfulness to God and His Law, and walking in righteousness. A few years ago I had a dream from the Lord which was showing me the very same thing. When we value man’s opinion over God’s word, we become idolaters and are practicing spiritual adultery. It is very serious and can cost our eternity in heaven.
King Saul was ruined because of the fear of man. The Lord had told him to destroy the Amalekites completely, killing every person and animal. He was to take no spoil from the Amalekites because they were evil. “Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” 1 Samuel 15:3. God did so because they were all evil to the core. Instead, Saul did not kill king Agag and he took the sheep as spoil. When Samuel the prophet, asked him why, he replied, “Yes, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me and have brought Agag King of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took from the spoil sheep and oxen, the chief of the things to be utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” Samuel replied, “Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:20-23. See entire chapter.
God promises us peace in the midst of chaos. There is no reason for our soul (mind, will and emotions) to be disturbed by the fears and chaos of the world. God is not shaken in the least. He’s capable of handling what’s going on and He’s not concerned that His throne will be taken by anyone. The choice is really simple. There are only two kingdoms in this world: The kingdom of darkness- Satan or the Kingdom of Heaven- Jesus. There’s no middle ground, no non vote or choice, no middle of the road stance. We choose one or the other. With that said, we were not left to our own devices to survive. We were given the handbook to know the difference between the two kingdoms so we could easily make our choice: The Bible. God did not leave us helpless or hopeless. He has given us the answers in His Word and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to be our teacher, counselor and our guide.
Confusion comes when we fear what others think about us. When we need man’s opinion to affirm us we will serve man and not God! When we become dependent upon man (others) we are lost. It’s nice to have people who are like minded but only if it’s the mind of Christ we agree upon. The world is in the crucible of faith right now. Our current decisions will answer the age old question: “Who do you say that I am?” If He is God, then fear Him and not man.
This is not a time for the church to cower in fear, it is a chance for the Light of Christ to break through the darkness in His Church (Body)! It is time for us to intercede on behalf of those who don’t know the Lord and are bound up in the world’s system. It is time to stand for God’s laws of morality, integrity, honesty and purity. It is time to love the unlovable into healing. The love of God does not condone sin and immorality but it also does not point a condemning finger to judge the sinner unworthy of redemption. Self-righteousness will not win this battle. Humbling ourselves before God, and being light and salt to the lost is our place of power and influence.
Whom do we fear? Those who love the Lord will not fear man, but they will crave with absolute necessity every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. They will hate evil, but remember they were once lost and have compassion on those who live in darkness. They will intercede and intervene because of their reverential awe and fear of the LORD!
