Have you ever noticed those people who stay calm in the face of major trauma?  Some of us are “basket cases” and some of us are “cool cucumbers.”  God made us with a ‘Fight or Flight’ mechanism in our brains for protection.  We need them both to survive, but we can learn to control our reactions to the fearful stimuli.  It is not a sin to be afraid, but how we act and react to that fear can be sinful.

Over and over the Scriptures tell us, “Fear not” and “Do not be afraid.”  Our God knows we have fear when we face the unknown in our lives.  He knows our first reaction to hard times, both mentally and physically will be to have fear and He asks us to NOT be afraid.  If God asks us to NOT be afraid, then it must be possible to control the fear inside and perform anyway.  If you are one of those “basket cases” and need to work on being a “cool cucumber,” then there is HOPE for you as you lean on the Holy Spirit.

In most cases, fear immobilizes us.  We freeze, stop thinking clearly, and look for the flight path.  When we give up rational control of our thoughts, we tend to make bad decisions for ourselves and those around us.  If fear is normal, then how do we function when bad things happen?  If fear is normal, why can a trauma nurse or surgeon treat critically injured patients and not freeze up or be physically ill?  How can a police officer remain calm at the scene of an accident?  How can a mom care for her child who is broken or bleeding or heartsick?  How would we be able to live without those people???

A very familiar quote by Gen. Douglas MacArthur says, “If bravery is a quality which knows not fear, then I have never seen a brave man. For the courageous man is the man who, in spite of his fear, forces himself to carry on.”  Courage is learned.  Courage is practiced.  Courage is controlled strength of character.  If it were not possible to control our fear, the Scriptures would not ask us over and over to “Not be AFRAID.”

When looking at persevering through fear, I found this quote by Dave Grossi:  “Do warriors experience fear? You bet they do. The only difference is a warrior is trained to overcome that fear and forge ahead. He fights through it, and gets the job done. The untrained fall victim to it.”   Warriors have fear, but they train to learn to control that fear and overcome it.  As we learn to control the fear that sometimes rules our lives, we need to look to Jesus’ example.

It took great strength, courage, and character for Jesus to control his anger, fear, and words when being confronted with the sinful people attempting to stop Him from accomplishing His mission.  The message of Jesus is about finding the balance of seeking God, growth, and maturity—and resulting actions.  When directly faced by Satan, Jesus did not ‘take the bait’ and engage in a verbal war.  He didn’t prove Satan wrong by showing him how powerful HE was.  When all was said and done, Satan was defeated by the Truth in the Scriptures.  Jesus said, “It is written…” and the devil fled.

Many people think Jesus was “born” knowing all the Scripture He used when He ministered.  Jesus was taught just like all the other good Jewish boys…and just like us if we apply ourselves to study.  There is not one bit of Scripture Jesus knew that we are not able to also know.  The only difference is the amount of time and conviction we are willing to put into our relationship with God, the Father.

If we really look at Jesus’ example we will find He sought silence to be alone with the Father before His major battles.  Here are seven instances where Jesus sought silence and solitude:

1)       He was fasting and praying when He was confronted with Satan in the desert (Matthew 4:1-2),

2)      He sought silence and seclusion after the death of His best friend, John the Baptist (Matthew 14:10-13),

3)      After ministering to the crowds and pouring Himself out, Jesus sought solitude and quiet in the mountains (Matthew 14:23),

4)      Jesus dealt with His popularity and the crowds that accompanied it by taking times of silence to reconnect with the Father.  By seeking silence and solitude, Jesus was able to deal with the growing demands of His ministry. 

5)      Jesus was constantly being confronted with sick people needing His healing.  Even when He told the healed ones NOT to tell, the crowds found out and came to Jesus for more healing. (Luke 5:15-16).

6)      Jesus main purpose for being on this earth was to serve others and bring them to a relationship with God the Father through His sacrifice.  Jesus would have experienced fear and anxiety as the day approached for His crucifixion and resurrection.  He dealt with this fear and anxiety through quiet time with the Father  (Matthew 17:1-3).

7)      Before Jesus faced his death, He went alone to pray to His Father and ask for the coming events to be taken from Him.  If we follow Jesus’ example, we will seek the Father BEFORE we get into hard and traumatic situations (Matthew 26:36).

There are also examples where Jesus held His tongue and did not respond in anger to those around Him.  When questioned by the Pharisees, Jesus was controlled, reserved, and thought before He spoke.  They were trying to trip Him up, geting Him to say things that Jesus could have been jailed and killed for.  When Jesus appeared before Pilate, He was asked very direct questions which would cause Him to be put to death and Jesus remained silent  (Mark 14:61).  In holding His tongue, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (53:7), “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

In our reading this week, Lisa gives us many examples from the Old Testament where God wants to be our Deliver, Provider, and Protector.  He has not changed.  God still wants to be our Deliverer from harm, our Provider for our needs and our Protector from evil. “Be still and KNOW that HE is God…” and He is able to provide everything you need.

This week we will begin to learn to be still, silent, and strong.  Our strength will rise when we wait upon the Lord.  He will fight our battles for us.  He will go before us and be our rear guard.  Trust God for His protection over your life.  Give Him control and see what a beautiful life He wants to give you.  You were meant to be courageous and brave.  Exercise the discipline it takes to develop the strength to stand in silence while the noise goes on around you.

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.  (Zechariah 2:13)

The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.  (Habakkuk 2:20)

Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near.  The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.  (Zephaniah 1:7)

I want to be SILENT and let GOD do His work in, and through, my life.  Thank You, God, for loving me enough to Protect and Provide for me.  I just have to be quiet. AMEN!