Concerning Fear, And Hope...

[CallingOnHim]

I have a question regarding a passage of the bible that I have never been able to understand. It's the scripture which states that what we fear may come upon us. Now this concerns me, for I have always been wrought with many fears in my life. It's the by product of an extremely abusive childhood.
Why do our fears come upon us ? I can't wrap my brain around it. I try not to have fears, but sometimes I just can't help it. I kind of feel as if I may be punished for having them, and this scares me. More fears.
And where does Hope fit in ? I have been hoping and praying for something with all my heart, soul, and spirit. Why hasn't this happened upon me yet ?
I hope no one misunderstands me, I am saying all this very sincerely, with no disrespect to God at all. It's just like I said, I can't understand how fearing something can make it come upon you. Aren't I under His protection ?

Thank you to all who help me better understand this passage.

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings,

I noticed today's Bible verse (at the bottom of the page)

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” -Isaiah 41:10

Bless you ....><>

 

[amadeus2]

Sixty three times in the KJV (14 in the NT and 12 in the gospels alone) we find the phrase, "fear not", for God certainly knows that man is always in himself afraid. But, while we are to fear God, we will not to be afraid of Him when we fully trust Him. So how do we come to such a place of absolute trust?

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matt 7:7-8

We don't just knock once and then when we receive no immediate answer, run away. Do we do that when we knock on the door of a person we have come to trust and to love?

"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:9

 

[CallingOnHim]

Thank you guys. But I'm still confused. *Hugs*

 

[amadeus2]

In this psalm of David he divides fears into two types. The first fears mentioned are the ones we do not want, such as your fears.
The second one mentioned is the fear of the Lord, which is something we all need to have to draw close to God.

"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." Psalm 34:7

"O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him." Psalm 34:9

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD." Psalm 34:11

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

I have a question regarding a passage of the bible that I have never been able to understand. It's the scripture which states that what we fear may come upon us. Now this concerns me, for I have always been wrought with many fears in my life. It's the by product of an extremely abusive childhood.

There is an enormous difference between the fear of God and being afraid of God.
Perfect love casts out all fear so that can't refer to the fear of God because God is love and perfect love casts out fear.

To be afraid of something as powerful as God is understandable and that's why he gave us his Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit to tell us God is not mad at us.
Reading scriptures and meditating on God and what he is revealing can cause turmoil due to our ego trying to keep us believing that we are separate from God and all alone in the universe.Standing on the thin crust of an enormous ball of molten lava flying thousands of miles an hour through space around an even larger nuclear explosion that we need to live but could kill us at any time.

I find it absurd that life exists due to a perfect balance of off balance factors.
You don't need to look hard to find something to be fearful of.
God really does have evrything under control but since love does not demand it's own way and God is love he does not force us to do anything.
He did give us the Holy Spirit to show us how love handles every situation though.
I recommend reading John chapter 17 and meditating on that.

 

[complete]

I have a question regarding a passage of the bible that I have never been able to understand. It's the scripture which states that what we fear may come upon us. Now this concerns me, for I have always been wrought with many fears in my life. It's the by product of an extremely abusive childhood.
Why do our fears come upon us ? I can't wrap my brain around it. I try not to have fears, but sometimes I just can't help it. I kind of feel as if I may be punished for having them, and this scares me. More fears.
And where does Hope fit in ? I have been hoping and praying for something with all my heart, soul, and spirit. Why hasn't this happened upon me yet ?
I hope no one misunderstands me, I am saying all this very sincerely, with no disrespect to God at all. It's just like I said, I can't understand how fearing something can make it come upon you. Aren't I under His protection ?

Thank you to all who help me better understand this passage.

Hello, 'CallingOnHim,'

You have had some lovely responses, and will not need me to say more. However, can you help me to find the passage that you refer to please, concerning fear.

Thank you.
In Christ Jesus
Complete

 

[Brother-Paul]

I have a question regarding a passage of the bible that I have never been able to understand. It's the scripture which states that what we fear may come upon us. Now this concerns me, for I have always been wrought with many fears in my life. It's the by product of an extremely abusive childhood.
Why do our fears come upon us ? I can't wrap my brain around it. I try not to have fears, but sometimes I just can't help it. I kind of feel as if I may be punished for having them, and this scares me. More fears.
And where does Hope fit in ? I have been hoping and praying for something with all my heart, soul, and spirit. Why hasn't this happened upon me yet ?
I hope no one misunderstands me, I am saying all this very sincerely, with no disrespect to God at all. It's just like I said, I can't understand how fearing something can make it come upon you. Aren't I under His protection ?

Thank you to all who help me better understand this passage.

Greeting, Peace be with you.

My heart is torn here, so I will not reply, regarding fear, not at present but, ask everyone on here to come together in prayer.

I had a terrible childhood that led to mental and physical abuse at home, plus sexual abuse by a vicar. But all through life I have been battered one way or another, it was once put on my heart that if a book was written about my life it would be 'Living on the Edge'. I have lived in fear for so many things, always on the edge, even after accepting Christ into my life 27 years ago. In fact after accepting Christ, after so much hate for what the vicar did 25-27 years previous was firstly a miracle but, but led to almost losing my family due to the spiritual battle that followed, I was not the man my wife married!

I need to spend a few days in prayer, do not put a time on my reply, I need to feel your situation and not relive my own.

Be assured of a few things at this stage. Fear in the world and fear of God are not the same fear. We fear God because He is all powerful, but He is also all loving. If the Holy Spirit wanted to, one slight puff could slay us but, God is love, do not compare the fear of God to the fear in the world.

There is a reason you fear as you do, this can be dealt with, it will be dealt with. Join us in prayer because when Jesus sets us free we are free indeed, but God takes us as we are, with all our hurts and fears, then moulds us and heals us. Praise the Lord He does but, with some of us, He has a lot to do and it is a two way situation that can take time. Some wounds take longer to heal don't they.

Yes, I am free from fear, you will be too. OK if someone said Boo and I didn't know I would be frightened for an instance but that is frightened not fear.

Please feel free to confirm the passage of scripture that concerns you where, fear may come upon you.

God Bless you, Jesus Loves You, We do too.

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

, can you help me to find the passage that you refer to please, concerning fear.

I'm not sure what the OP had in mind but the old testament has many examples and the new testament can be interpreted in a fearful way
if read with an old testament mentality.

Job 3:25 For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.
Job 30:26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.
Ezekiel 11:8 You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Jeremiah 42:16 then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.
Job 6:4 The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God's terrors are marshaled against me.
Jeremiah 8:15 We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror.

Then of course there is the idea that if you really please God like Jesus that you might need to be brutally murdered on some kind of cross or a modern day equivalent.

God is love,love can be tough on those who are ready to be toughened but gentle to those who are not.
Love does not demand it's own way so Jesus could not have been told he had to suffer for all but that
he had the option to not demand his own way and act like love.To act like the Father.

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

There is a reason you fear as you do, this can be dealt with, it will be dealt with. Join us in prayer because when Jesus sets us free we are free indeed, but God takes us as we are, with all our hurts and fears, then moulds us and heals us. Praise the Lord He does but, with some of us, He has a lot to do and it is a two way situation that can take time. Some wounds take longer to heal don't they.

I agree with your whole post and just wanted to throw something out there that I feel needs to be said.

I had a wonderful childhood and deal with the same issues and fear that those who were abused deal with.
Some suffered rejection after accepting Christ and those who were abused as a child suffered rejection from the start.

1 Peter 2:20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
God knows your suffering and has redeemed your past as well as your future in the "now" of eternal life.

1 Peter 2:19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
Children are innocent and are more conscious of God and love and that's why they can forgive.

 

[Chad]

I have a question regarding a passage of the bible that I have never been able to understand. It's the scripture which states that what we fear may come upon us.

Hi Calling,

It would be helpful if you tell us what specific passage you're referring to.

 

[CallingOnHim]

Hello all, and thank you so much for your kind replies. May God bless you for the kindness.

When I first started attending a bible study so many years ago, the very first book we studied together was Job. Please tell me if this study/group was correct in it's teaching.,
We were told that what you fear shall come upon you, and that Job got up every morning to pray for the safety of his children in a sort of an obsessed kind of way (I can't remember how they phrased it). Then lucifer came before God and you know the rest....
But I still don't understand the why's of it all. Why does what we fear come upon us ?
And why didn't God just tell the devil that Job was a good man and not have to prove it to the prince of evil by killing his children ? What does God care what satan thinks wrongly ?
Like I said earlier, I respect God and acknowledge that He is always correct. That's why this passage bothers me so much, cause I have many fears.

Not to make light of this situation, cause believe me, this has caused me much anguish, but, I often wish that I was afraid of winning the lottery if this passage is what I was taught it to be.

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

But I still don't understand the why's of it all. Why does what we fear come upon us ?
And why didn't God just tell the devil that Job was a good man and not have to prove it to the prince of evil by killing his children ? What does God care what satan thinks wrongly ?
Like I said earlier, I respect God and acknowledge that He is always correct. That's why this passage bothers me so much, cause I have many fears.

God did not kill Job's children nor did he hand Job over to the enemy.
God is love and love does not demand it's own way.
Our fear does demand it's own way and continually seeks confirmation of our need for it to exist.
Perfect love casts out all fear and God is that perfect love.
The exact opposite of love is not hate,it is fear.

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
Satan admits that Job has fierce love for God but goes further to imply that Job was receiving something in exchange from God for his devotion.
In other words the accuser is suggesting that God has bribed God to love him.

Job 1:10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
Job;s relationship with God had indeed come with some clear cut benefits.

These questions of Job;s own loyalty to God was lodged in Job's own heart.
His continual sacrifice was actually a sign that he thought his own actions were why God had placed that hedge on him and not simply because God loved Job and his children.

The whole story is dealing with our own struggle to believe that God "is" then that God "is good" and then that God sees us.
Once we know he sees us we struggle with whether he accepts us.
Even when we are convinced that he is and we are accepted we wrestle with accepting his love unconditionally.
Fear is darkness and love is light,we don't wrestle a dark room do we?
We turn on a light and it turns out that where there is light there is no darkness.

I pray to the Father in The name of Jesus that the Father would reveal his goodness and overpowering love to you.
Let there be light,peace,joy,strength,provision,healing in mind,body,heart and relationships in every way
Amen and Godspeed.

 

[complete]

I'm not sure what the OP had in mind but the old testament has many examples and the new testament can be interpreted in a fearful way
if read with an old testament mentality.

Job 3:25 For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.
Job 30:26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.
Ezekiel 11:8 You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Jeremiah 42:16 then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.
Job 6:4 The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God's terrors are marshaled against me.
Jeremiah 8:15 We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror.

Then of course there is the idea that if you really please God like Jesus that you might need to be brutally murdered on some kind of cross or a modern day equivalent.

God is love,love can be tough on those who are ready to be toughened but gentle to those who are not.
Love does not demand it's own way so Jesus could not have been told he had to suffer for all but that
he had the option to not demand his own way and act like love.To act like the Father.

Thank you, 'Thiscrosshurts',

Of the six references you gave me, Job 3:25,26, seems the closest to what the OP described.

'For the thing that I fear comes upon me,
and what I dread befalls me.'

* Poor Job, he is describing, to his three friends, the fearful happenings which had befallen Him, and in the metrical version, it puts it clearly,

'For, that which I so feared hath come on me,
and what I dreaded, that hath come to me,
I was not careless;
nor did feel secure;
nor rested without thought:
yet, trouble came.'

* Job couldn't see why these things had happened to him, when he had not been careless, nor lived under a false sense of security, nor did he 'rest' thoughtlessly, yet trouble came upon Him.

* It is not to be understood to mean: that if we fear; the thing we fear will fall upon us.
Or if we ourselves, 'dread' the thought of something happening: that it surely will happen to us.

* I very much hope that this is not used as a threat: a means of controlling another; for that would be abuse indeed, wouldn't it? Especially if applied to a child.

* Fear is natural, fear is necessary for our survival, fear is part of our make-up as human beings. Rejoice in it! It is part of God's provision, like any other.

' What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
In God I will praise His word,
in God I have put my trust;
I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.'
(Psa 56:3,4)

With love in Christ Jesus
Complete

 

[Brother-Paul]

Hello all, and thank you so much for your kind replies. May God bless you for the kindness.

When I first started attending a bible study so many years ago, the very first book we studied together was Job. Please tell me if this study/group was correct in it's teaching.,
We were told that what you fear shall come upon you, and that Job got up every morning to pray for the safety of his children in a sort of an obsessed kind of way (I can't remember how they phrased it). Then lucifer came before God and you know the rest....
But I still don't understand the why's of it all. Why does what we fear come upon us ?
And why didn't God just tell the devil that Job was a good man and not have to prove it to the prince of evil by killing his children ? What does God care what satan thinks wrongly ?
Like I said earlier, I respect God and acknowledge that He is always correct. That's why this passage bothers me so much, cause I have many fears.

Not to make light of this situation, cause believe me, this has caused me much anguish, but, I often wish that I was afraid of winning the lottery if this passage is what I was taught it to be.

Greetings

I agree with Chad, It would be helpful if you tell us what specific passage you're referring to, this way we can look at it in context with you.

If you cannot do that at this stage may I ask you to considering reading Job again, with an open mind and open heart, asking the Holy Spirit to guide your heart, your mind and your thoughts.

The Fear you refer to does not come from God, it is a worldly fear

Jesus said many times, (and so did the angels sent by God our Father) 'Fear Not'

Luke 8:50 (KJV)
50 Jesus answered saying, Fear not: believe only

@Thiscrosshurts Has covered well will scripture from Job based on what we know so far, we also come together in prayer. Amen

WWJD comes to mind, also WWJS, What would Jesus say?

We pray protection for you through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bring the concerns of your heart, to Him in prayer. Bring the fear you are holding on to, to the alter and lay your concerns at His feet. But make sure you let go of them!

'Call on Him' but 'make sure you let go' of the fear that is holding you down, holding you back, Jesus sets us free to be free indeed. Letting go is the hardest part and the part many fail on. Continue to pray, prayers according to God's will through Jesus Christ our Lord are always answered. God's speed.

John 14:27 (KJV)
27 (Jesus said) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Bless you, Jesus loves you, we do too.

I have just seen this reply, from @complete, had I seen it earlier, I do not think I would have needed to add anything.. You certainly have had a lot of good replies to help you. God Bless you.

 

[CallingOnHim]

So.... if I fear something bad may happen to my children, it doesn't mean my lack of faith to trust God to take care of them will result In Him actually not taking care of them ?

I know this sounds weird, but I heard a pastor on the radio, I think it was Chuck Swindoll, say that how our relationship with our earthly father was, will seep into our thoughts of how we perceive God.

PS,
Thanks for the beautiful prayer Thiscrosshurts !

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

So.... if I fear something bad may happen to my children, it doesn't mean my lack of faith to trust God to take care of them will result In Him actually not taking care of them ?

If all fear ended up manifesting there would be no humans left at all.
If all prayer ended up manifesting there would be no fear left at all.
If my prayers don't seem to be manifested very powerfully then my fears won't be either.
I can;t fight fear by being afraid to fear.That is like lighting a room by adding darkness.
I can't add darkness because darkness is not a thing.
Love is light and is a real thing.
I can get more light but if I think things are getting darker that is only because I have experienced enough light to discern the places that the light has not yet reached.Our darkness resides at the edge of the light and that causes us to notice the difference.
I can get more love but if I feel more fearful that is only because I have experienced enough love to discern the places that the love has not yet reached.
Our fears reside at the edge of love and that causes us to notice the difference.

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
Satan admits that Job has fierce love for God but goes further to imply that Job was receiving something in exchange from God for his devotion.
In other words the accuser is suggesting that God has bribed God to love him.

I just realized I made a mistake.I meant to say that the accuser was suggesting that Job only revered God for the benefits.
Perhaps God wants to be loved because he loves and not because he is all powerful.
He loves us because he is love and we should be love so we can love him back in truth.

I feel that the whole focus of the book of Job is reflected in this verse.
Job 40:8 "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

Fear has torment and perfect love casts out all fear.
Job was serving God out of the torment kind of fear and not out of the kind of love and trust that Job showed the poor and widows.
So in a way Job was kind of implying that he had more mercy than God.
Job had shown mercy to those who could do nothing at all for him.
Why did Job think God required some kind of ritual or reason to extend that same mercy toward Job.
Sometimes we unknowingly condemn God by making wrong observations or judgements about the nature of his perfect love..

 

[JohnP]

@Thiscrosshurts - Your posts here have been very edifying!

 

[complete]

So.... if I fear something bad may happen to my children, it doesn't mean my lack of faith to trust God to take care of them will result In Him actually not taking care of them ?

I know this sounds weird, but I heard a pastor on the radio, I think it was Chuck Swindoll, say that how our relationship with our earthly father was, will seep into our thoughts of how we perceive God.

PS,
Thanks for the beautiful prayer Thiscrosshurts !

Hello CallingOnHim,

When my two children were small, I had an irrational fear of them being swept down and away from me in the water of a culvert that went underground. I would dream about it, and wake up in a sweat. Although I would shrug it off, it remained a cause of nightmare for some time: but they lived, they grew, they married, they had children of their own.
My fears were irrational, founded probably on my own feelings of inadequacy, who knows. The answer to that is that God does. It was no indication at all of my lack of faith in Him, just the unfounded fear of a Mum, who found the whole business of parenthood, with it's responsibility, difficult to cope with.

Praise God!

In Christ Jesus
Chris (Complete)

 

[CallingOnHim]

I feel that the whole focus of the book of Job is reflected in this verse.
Job 40:8 "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

So Job was wrong in thinking it was God who allowed his children to be killed ?

Job was serving God out of the torment kind of fear and not out of the kind of love and trust that Job showed the poor and widows.
So in a way Job was kind of implying that he had more mercy than God.
Job had shown mercy to those who could do nothing at all for him.
Why did Job think God required some kind of ritual or reason to extend that same mercy toward Job.
Sometimes we unknowingly condemn God by making wrong observations or judgements about the nature of his perfect love..

Thanks again for your responses TCH. I appreciate your patience greatly.
So Job's fear of his children's safety had nothing to do with their death ?. Then what caused their deaths ? I know I sound like a broken record...
Thank you, and yes, you are helping.