Original Entry: May 23, 2006
McMinnville, Or.
12 Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight." 2 Samuel 10:1-19
Western Oregon is a new hunting ground for me. Without the intense heat (we have rain instead), rattlesnakes, Black Widows, scorpions, or mountain lion populations found in my native state of California, Oregon is like hunting in paradise. In my humble opinion the most dangerous thing in the northwest woods is the woods themselves! When I fist moved to Oregon I discovered that it was easy to get turned around in the dark timber so I stayed out of it and on the timber roads instead. With elk, however, I learned that you have to drop into these dark and brushy canyons to find the elusive Wapiti.
My initial fear was simply a case of inexperience and that inexperience froze my efforts. Read 2 Samuel 10 and you will be impressed with the story of Joab and the “choice men of Israel” (9). Remember, “The King of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son became king in his place” (1).
When David sent some of his people to console Hanun he, “seized David's men, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away” (4).
What!
He actually cut their robes off just above their genitals, humiliating them to the utmost degree. Men, can you imagine the scene!
As David sent the choice men of Israel to fight the Ammonites and Arameans he noticed that they were outnumbered and surrounded. The situation looked bad for David’s men until we read the courageous statement found in verse 12, “Be strong and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and the cities of our God.” Courage comes under fire. Courage is fear confronted. Courage is fear defeated. Essentially there is no courage without fear since courage is not the absence of fear but the victory over it. Just as the fear of dark timber froze me, courage drops into the dark timber in spite of fear.
Victory aligns with our fear as we trust in God’s faithfulness. I believe that one of the greatest battles a man will ever fight is the battle to defeat fear.
Fear can paralyze a man or it can motivate him. Fear can cause a man to pick up five stones and fight or hide behind a rock.
I have a rusted fur trapper’s trap in my office a friend gave me as a daily reminder that fear is a trap.
What fears have paralyzed your faith lately?
