Dread Locked

Are you dread locked?

Are you locked in fear, believing doom is around the corner or that all are conspiring against you?

Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what it fears, or be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. - Isaiah 8:12-13

I met someone recently who is paranoid.

I cannot look at him without it triggering a reaction.  He believes everyone is singling him out as one to be cautious of, one who may do something wrong, so he is always on his guard.

That takes a lot of energy.  It must drain him and cause him great suffering.

Fear does that to us, it puts us on guard, causes us to stay alert to threats and weakens us, so when a situation arises that needs our attention and strength, we are vulnerable.

Fear can also unite people and though that can be a good thing, it can also have terrible results.  Lynch mobs and riots are born out of fear.

When we become locked in dread, seeing the enemy around every corner, we weaken, rather than fortify our defenses.  We need to be strong to protect ourselves from real threats, and though there is a need to see the danger that is real, there is also a need to avoid overreacting to minor threats and false conspiracies.

In the press, we get story after story showing bad decisions by authority, by cops, by judges, by juries, by the government.  Is the only reason for poor judgment conspiracy?

Fear sells papers and builds audiences, but it also destroys our society.  And now it is the primary reason for selecting a president.  Which candidate do we fear more?

In the end, we, as a people, will need to overcome our fears to stand united and free.  Or, we will follow the path of all other nations living in fear, and submit to evil and death.

Perhaps this is the time for Isaiah's message.  Fear in God, and in Him put all your trust.

Conspiracies be damned.

More to come...