Fear in the Battle
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
Read Exodus 14:13-18.
As we have seen, fear has no place in the Christian life, but fear does have an important place in the life of an unbeliever. Fear is one of the tools God uses to drive the lost to faith. That’s because fear of punishment can be a powerful motivator to press someone to seek the Lord.
Pharaoh had many reasons to fear God. He had seen Him bring ten plagues upon his nation, and yet Pharaoh never allowed the fear he should have felt to become faith. So, after Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea on dry ground, Pharaoh and his armies pursued them. Rather than seeing the power of God in the walls of water to his right and his left, Pharaoh foolishly chased after the people of God. And suddenly it was over. As the waters came rushing back into place, Moses’ promise to the Israelites came true: “The Egyptians you see today you will never see again” (Exodus 14:13).
Pharaoh wasn’t afraid when he should have been, and it cost him everything. But there was someone who got the message. About forty years later, when the Israelites were getting ready to topple Jericho, there was a woman in the city named Rahab, who had heard what God had done to Egypt (see Joshua 2:10-11). She was rightly afraid, but she allowed that fear to become faith. She left everything behind to join the nation of Israel, and God rewarded her—giving her a place in Jesus’ family tree (see Matthew 1:5).
Prayer: Lord, when I am afraid, may that fear drive me closer to You. You are my fortress—my faithful Deliverer. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again’” (Exodus 14:13).
Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon Treasure That Lasts: Giving Up Gold for Glory, Part 9: LISTEN NOW
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