By Jeremy Writebol
As I lay wide awake in the utter darkness of the night, fear crept over me. Every little noise of the night was magnified in my ears. The layer that stood between me and the paranoia of my mind was no thicker than the tent wall between me and the actual darkness of the wilderness. Fear covered me. It terrorized and prevented me from any rest at all. And I was merely camping outdoors with my son.
It’s one thing to speak of the fear of the dark, it’s another thing to speak of the fear that can enter our hearts because of our sin. Fear brings an oppressive shackling and weight to our hearts that keep us from any rest. The reality and trouble of our sin cause our fear to flourish and sink us into great despair. We can cry out with the apostle Paul, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).
The need for grace and liberation runs throughout the Bible. It is a gift of grace that God is the One who saves and rescues sinners from their sins. The people of Israel were trained to celebrate God as the One who is “performing saving acts on the earth,” crushing our great enemy, the devil (Psalm 74:12,14). They learned to wait on the God who would “wipe away the tears from every face and remove his people’s disgrace” (Isaiah 25:8). Israel faced forward in faith, waiting for the promised Messiah to liberate them from their sin and darkness.
It is with the coming of that Messiah, Jesus, that our sins and the oppressive fear that our sin holds over us are conquered. Jesus was sent to glorify the Father by becoming “like his brothers and sisters in every way” as a human being (Hebrews 2:17). He came and laid down His life as our substitute, paying for our sins in His death on the cross (Romans 4:25).
This reality is the good news that we all need today. Whenever we are waylaid in fear because of our sin, we only need to look to the Son of God and what He accomplished to liberate us. Paul declared, “he erased the certificate of debt…and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities…he triumphed over them in him” (Colossians 2:14–15). It is “through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14).
If our faith is in Christ, then the fear that occupies our hearts, minds, and souls is beaten down by Jesus Christ. We’re invited into the peace and rest that Jesus alone gives. We can announce to our fears, “you are nothing because Jesus loved me and gave himself for me.” The good news of God’s grace in Christ is that Jesus is our freedom and rest.
2 thoughts on "From Our Fears and Sins Release Us Day 10"
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I am so thankful that God sent his son for me. Sometimes that can be a hard concept to grasp for me.
Why would God send his perfect Son for an imperfect man like me? Truly we are saved only through his grace. I am thankful I do not need to “prove” my works or self to him to gain access to His kingdom.
Lord I lay down before you bare at the cross and give you thanks and praise for sending Jesus to die for my sins. Please help and guide me to be a steward and a fisher of men.
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God spoke to me through this reading. I spent all of last night in fear and was unable to sleep well. Not fear over my own sin exactly, but fear over the unknown and for my health because of a sudden change in circumstances (some of which can be attributed to past sin). I know the truth that my life is in the Lord’s hands and that I need not fear anything, but it somehow still comes over me. This was such a good reminder of who is really in control and gave me a measure of comfort.
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