The Last Days According To Jesus - Fear (Mt 24:6)
The Last Days According To Jesus - Fear (Mt 24:6)
Matthew 24:6
“See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place.”
Human emotions are hard to control. When our emotions go unchecked, they build up until they spiral out of control. Lust, hatred, anger, grief, even love and joy, can all lead us down a road of no return.
Fear is the most difficult motion to control. Fear can be paralyzing and it can change us. So, Jesus is telling us something when He warns us to not be frightened in the Last Days. He is telling us that the it will be a scary time. Fear will be the natural response to these events.
Our world is changing rapidly. Every day there is a new event or headline that astounds us. If these changes aren’t frightening you, you’re not paying attention. The world is turning upside down and the day is not far off when you and I will be the villains to a world that is hell-bent on defiance of God.
It’s a good time to remember how often God’s say "For I know” in the Bible. He even sends angels to earth, from time to time, with that message. When God says that He knows, He is using those words to calm us and bring us comfort.
Some fear is good. I fear God. That means that I understand who He is and I am in awe of Him. That is an appropriate response to a holy God whose love is so deep and so real that it causes me to tremble at the realization of it.
Fear is bad when we fear anything other than God. As Christians, God has promised that He is in control no matter what we face, He will be there in the middle of it with us. Fear, then, should be reserved for God alone.
When we see the horrors of our changing world, we should not fear it. Jesus makes it clear that these things must take place. Our job is to trust in Him when they happen. That will be especially important in the next verse: “Nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom.”
Buckle in for that one because we are going to take all of next week to discuss the coming world war to end all wars.
Job 28:28
“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’”