Original Entry:
February 3, 2009
McMinnville,
OR
Do
you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He
paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. He
laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The
quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In
frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the
trumpet sounds. At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, “Aha!” He catches the
scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry. Job
39:20-25
I’ve heard a certain
saying come out of the mouths of men many times, but never out of women. Maybe
it’s the facade of courage men put up. Maybe it is to cover our fear of fear.
“I laugh at
fear!”
Have you heard it
before? A man is faced with a great danger only to seamlessly shrug it off and
say proudly, “I laugh at fear!”
Fear is nothing to be
laughed at. Fear is no laughing matter. Fear is a wet-your-pants moment. It
is a rubber-meets-the road matter. Fear is many things but it is never
something to mock, tease or, God forbid, laugh at.
Who is this mighty
warrior in Job 39:20-25 that
says, “He laughs at fear, afraid of
nothing.” This is someone who you want to watch your back in a dark
alley. I was shocked when I went to the top of this passage for my answer. So
here it is in verse 20, “Do you give the
horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? Do you make him leap like
the locust (NASB)?”
That’s right! God is
talking about the horse!
No man laughs at
fear.
But look closer and you
will find an even more profound secret. Three times in verse 20 God inquires, “Do you ‘give, clothe or make?’” Only he
can create certain things and one of those things if fearlessness, and
unfortunately for us fearlessness does not exist in men. No
matter how strong, stupid, brave, or bold all men have certain things that cause
us to pause in fear. Be encouraged that God can assist us in overcoming our
fears. The same God that made the horse to laugh at fear is the same God that
gives men victory over it.
What will you trust God
for in your battle over fear?
