Fear Not! A Guide to Living a Fearless LifeNäide

If We Only Read and Believe

“‘Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you,’ says the Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. ‘Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and make the hills like chaff’” (Isaiah 41:14-15, NKJV).

Isaiah has already prophesied that Israel would be punished and exiled, but in this passage Isaiah says they have a Redeemer. A redeemer is someone who is going to get something back, and the Redeemer is going to once again come for His people.

Many people fear snakes, but few fear worms. When a person is referred to as a worm, it is not an endearing term. Webster’s defines worm as “an abject or contemptible person,” so God is not really bragging on His kids here.

God, however, is going to take these wormy people and give them an edge to make them an instrument that can be used to defeat their enemies and make them like chaff. When you have an edge on someone else, you have the advantage. If you have never tried to chop down a tree with a dull axe, you may not appreciate what a sharp edge can do for you. Abraham Lincoln once said, “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four hours sharpening the axe."

So how would you describe your spiritual edge? Does it more resemble a butter knife or a scalpel? How does one sharpen his edge? God makes it real clear the power His word has.“‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’” (Jeremiah 23:29, NIV)

Not only is God’s word powerful, it is also sharp. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV). If you want to truly sharpen your edge, get in the Bible. President Ronald Reagan once said of the Bible, “Within the covers of that single book are all the answers to all the problems that face us today if we only read and believe.”

Another way to sharpen your edge is to interact with other believers. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17, NIV). Your blade will not sharpen itself. It has to come in contact with other iron, and there has to be an exchange or interaction between the two. When you are a sharp instrument in God’s hand, you can move mountains and the enemy will now fear you.

Prayer: Lord, help me to follow President Reagan’s advice and read and believe. May I have a desire to sharpen my spiritual edge daily, both in Your word and through interaction with other believers. I pray I will be an iron sharpener and help mold and shape warriors and princess warriors for Your kingdom. In Jesus name, amen.