Hello Fear: I’m Here to Conquer YouSample

Hello Fear: Naming What Holds You Back

Hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat to keep it from the Midianites, he thought he was too small and too scared to fight. Yes, that was Gideon in the Book of Judges, chapter 6. He was terrified when God called him to lead Israel. Before he could even believe it himself, in verse 12, the Angel of the Lord appeared before him and called him a “mighty warrior.”

Although, Gideon felt weak and unqualified, the Lord wanted him to know that He was sending him into war, but He was also protecting him. He was also confused because none of this made sense, as he expressed in verse 13. He couldn’t fathom what God was saying. He had blinders to the truth. Yet and still, while Gideon was hiding in fear, God saw him for who he was and called him a “mighty warrior.” In verse 15, Gideon asked, “But how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” In verse 16, God gave him a confirmation and spoke directly to his fear: “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Fear must first be named and exposed before it can be defeated. When we acknowledge our fear and bring it into God’s light, we begin to see that fear is not stronger than God’s call on our lives. Sometimes fear thrives in the dark, unnamed and unchallenged. But fear loses its grip when we expose it to God’s light.

God spoke into Gideon’s true identity. With God’s help, he conquered his fears and defeated a vast army. While God may not be calling you to defeat a vast army, He is calling you to something greater than you. God is asking you to relinquish your fears before Him. It becomes a true act of trust. It’s like turning on a light in a dark room. You have to look fear in the eye, and once exposed, fear can no longer sneak around in the shadows.

Fear is meant to keep you in bondage. Over the years, I have heard an acronym for fear: false expectations appearing real. It’s exactly that—false, not real. The goal of fear is to keep a grip on your mind and paralyze any decision making that could allow you to grow beyond where you are. But when you expose it, it allows God to speak to you as you truly are in His eyes. God says that each of us is chosen, equipped, and protected. This is beyond what we feel. It is a known fact that fear cannot stand where His truth is spoken.

I challenge you to read Judges 6. See where Gideon was fearful. Once you have read it, there is a clarion call to look deep within yourself as well. God is calling and prompting you to ask yourself, “What fear is lurking in your heart?” Stand in the mirror and introduce yourself to fear. Whatever the fear is, cast it down. It can’t hold you. It must lose its grip on you.

Prayer:
Lord, I thank You that when I call on You, You hear me and answer me. Help me name my fears and give them to You. I trust that You will deliver me, as You delivered Gideon. Replace my fear with boldness.Flood my heart with Your light and show me who I truly am in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.