Fear Not... Then Heaven

At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom He saw in all His glory with Jesus standing at His side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!” (Acts 7:54-56 ESV)

FEAR NOT… THEN HEAVEN

Courage is not the absence of fear.  Among the many who have attempted to explain this, Mark Twain wrote, ““Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” 

Stephen, probably freshly ordained as a deacon, overcame the natural urge to be afraid.  Luke writes that Stephen only had eyes for God.  He saw God instead of the threats of God’s enemies.

This might seem like a metaphor, an exaggeration, or a turn of phrase.  But the next sentence makes it clear that Stephen, after his fear, saw heaven.

Perhaps Stephen was able to see heaven because he had moved beyond fear.

Perhaps the hope of that view was what enabled Stephen to move beyond fear.

Perhaps Stephen had eyes for heaven because he refused to look at things that caused fear.

Perhaps it was all three.

But Stephen had replaced his fear with heaven.  Follow Stephen’s eyes.

Fear not, then heaven.

Fear Not... Then Do Church

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. (Acts 6:1-3 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Do Church

I had lost my job, and my career.  Bills annoyingly continued to arrive, and our income was not enough to balance our checkbook.  My personal and private life were portraits of shame, embarrassment, and insecurity. 

What did we do? We went to church.  

I am not bragging.  I am not claiming piety.  I simply did not believe I had any other thing to do.

Even though church MIGHT have been seen as something that added to my troubles… we did church.

The apostles had plenty of troubles.  Political and religious persecution were daily events.   While God HAD granted them faith, they had plenty of reasons to be insecure, uncomfortable, and afraid.

“Let’s wait till things calm down,” they might have said.

“Let’s let the storms of political and religious oppression blow themselves out,” they might have said.

“Let’s avoid more conflict, more trauma, more turmoil, and more work,” they might have said.

But instead, they did church.

After their fears… they did the work of Christ on earth.

They made sure the gospel was presented, and they made sure the practical work of the church was done.

Isn’t church the usual way God deals with the aftereffects of fear?

Fear not, then do church.

Fear Not... Messages of Joy

To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. (Isaiah 61:3 The Message)

FEAR NOT… then MESSAGES OF JOY

Scary movies usually follow the same pattern.  Bad stuff, a bit of reprieve, then worse stuff, then a bit of reprieve, then the WORST stuff… on and on.  The cycle only ends at the end of the movie, with the destruction of the bad guy.  And even then… the last scene will often hint that more trouble is coming, in the sequel!

Insert our fears in that cycle, and it looks like our lives.  Something makes us afraid.  We find reprieve, but then something else arises.  We find reprieve, but then fear jumps out at us again.

Isaiah gives us a suggestion to stop the cycle.

Listen to messages of joy.  Search for messages of joy.  Speak messages of joy. 

The world is pretty good at speaking messages of doom.  Bad news sells news.  Articulated worry makes us sound experienced, clever, and caring.  Stating doubt gives the appearance of understanding.

But God speaks good news.  He speaks gospel.

Joy is not shallow happiness.  Joy is a happy contentment that arises from trusting in Jesus and His promises.

When fear repeats, break the cycle with a dose of joy.

Fear not, then messages of joy.

Fear Not... Then Wake Up

Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight. God’s bright glory has risen for you. (Isaiah 60:1 The Message)

Fear Not… Then Wake Up!

After a day of excitement, I like to sleep.  My deepest sleep-nights have been after a day on the roller-coasters, a disappointing last-moment election result, a nerve-filled medical procedure, or a sword fight with a monster. 

After the fear is gone sleep comes easily.

But Isaiah sets an alarm clock instead.  Jerusalem had undergone frightful military, political, economic, and personal tragedies.  God both promised help, and provided redemption. 

And then he tells them to wake up!

The ancient Greeks awarded laurels to winners of competitions, battles, and contests.  But when the award ceremony was finished, the winners were encouraged to get back to work.  And thus the warning against ‘resting on our laurels’ was born.

Isaiah says that even though God has HELPED… now it is time for us to wake up.

There is work to be done.

Fear not, then wake up.

Fear Not... Then God

The mountains quake before Him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before Him, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the heat of His anger?  His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by Him. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in him. (Nahum 1:5-8 ESV)

FEAR NOT… THEN GOD

Kansas has had a lot of earthquakes lately.  Perhaps because we are not really used to them, these quakes are frightening.  Usually, I am unaware of our occasional tremors.  But this week, for some reason, I have felt them.

I have watched knick-knacks on the shelf shake.  I have watched pictures on the wall shudder.  I have watched my dog cower.  I have watched impact tremors in my Diet Coke.

Earthquakes in Israel were more common.  Nahum mentions them because quaking mountains and shaking hills were well-known, yet mysteriously frightening.  Even though we might think we understand Richter Scales, plate tectonics, and underground lava movements we still look nervously around us.

But God is stronger than an earthquake.  God not only understands His creation, He includes it in His plans, actions, and providential care.  For those who know God, through Christ, earthquakes are not something to fear. 

Instead, they are something that remind us of God;  according to Nahum, not just God’s power… but God’s goodness! 

What does Nahum mean?  Nahum reminds us that the bigger our problem, the bigger God shows Himself to be.  Nahum preaches that no matter how scary something is, God yearns to protect you from it.  Nahum says that terrifying things are opportunities to take refuge in God. 

In fact, the scariest thing, sin itself, was answered by God with power, sacrifice, and love.  God is our refuge!

Fear not… Then God.

Fear Not... Then Suffer

…and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.  For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, (Philippians 1:28,29 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Suffer

Grading papers is not usually a pleasant activity.  Depending on the subject matter, I often find it either boring, stressful, or difficult.  But I am very willing to suffer for the sake of the students.  Modernity spouts the myth that it is our right to avoid suffering.  But suffering, in some sense, is often the price for progress, community, and love.

And sometimes actual suffering is even more than that.

For Paul, writing to the Philippians, suffering is not something to be avoided, but something we ‘get’ to do.  Suffering is closely tied to our belief in Christ.

His suffering puts our suffering in context.  His sacrifice puts our suffering in context.  His humiliation puts our suffering in context. 

Encounters with our opponents seem to justify fear. But when we are aware that through Christ we have nothing to fear, then those difficult encounters are opportunities for Kingdom work. We can willingly suffer through them, because of our workmate, Christ.  According to Paul, the difficulties are therefore gifts from God.

We will suffer in this life. (II Corinthians 1:5, I Peter 2:21 et al) But after our fear is gone, suffering is something we get to do.  It is not fun.  But it is glorious. (Romans 8:18)

Fear not, then suffer.

Fear Not... Then Armor Up

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  (Ephesians 6:13-18 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Armor Up

In an old Space Opera, the hero is about to face down the evil aliens.  As he goes through the airlock, he pauses and buckles on his nifty ray-gun. 

His sidekick mocks him.  “Why the hardware?  I thought you weren’t afraid?”

The hero answers with clenched teeth, “It is because I am NOT afraid that I take my gun.  If I were afraid, I wouldn’t dare DO anything at all!”

Even if we are not afraid, evil is tough to withstand.  But we have better weaponry than a ray-gun.  Paul describes our defenses as the armor of God.  Because we are not cowering in fear or frozen in terror, we strap on our armor.  Because we know it is the armor OF GOD, because we know it is JESUS in charge, because we know that Christ already bought the victory, now we can stand firm.

Believing and speaking truth.

Protected by Christ’s righteousness.

Standing on the peace of the gospel.

Faith between us and God’s enemies.

Guarded by salvation itself.

Not using our own thoughts, but the Word of God.

Fear not, then armor up.

Fear Not... Then Love

Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. (Genesis 24:67 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Love

Robert Todd Lincoln grew up in the shadow of his father, Abraham Lincoln.  While Robert served as an aid to General U.S. Grant, was a key alderman in South Chicago, and was even Secretary of War in his later years, he lived in fear that he would not live up to the world’s expectations of the Great Emancipator’s son. 

It is easy to imagine Isaac living in similar fear.  Abraham had huge sandals.  He had accomplished so much, had created so much, and had believed so much.  How could Isaac live up to that?

But God’s promises had been clear.  The line of the Savior would pass through Isaac.  No matter what Isaac felt about his own abilities, his own accomplishments, or his own place in history, God Himself promised that Isaac had nothing to fear. (Genesis 17:16, 22:18) But maybe he feared anway.

Just like we often fear, despite God’s promises.

But when Isaac saw Rebekah, the woman who was to be his wife, it appears that his fears dissipated.  He was out in the field mediating, (Genesis 24:63) which sounds a lot like praying.  And God chose that moment to give Isaac faith. 

Isaac responded to his lack of fear by loving Rebekah.

A pretty good reaction, actually.  Love is God’s primary command to His people.  And when our fear is lessened, maybe we have more energy to do what God commands

Fear not, then love.

Fear Not.. Then Proclaim the Gospel

…and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, (Ephesians 6:19 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Proclaim the Gospel

John F. Kennedy was shipwrecked in the middle of a battle during WWII.  And as his crew gathered on a small island in the Pacific Ocean, they were all afraid.  Somehow, Kennedy overcame that fear, and found courage.  And that enabled him to act boldly.  He attempted various means to be rescued, survive, and find hope.  But it began with an end of fear for Kennedy.

For God’s folk, too, after fear comes boldness.  But not any kind of boldness.  Paul tells the Ephesians that after HIS fear, he yearns for boldness in talking about Christ Jesus.  Paul’s asked for boldness would enable him to turn every fearful situation into an arrow aimed at the gospel. 

The things that used to make us afraid are now venues for boldness.  The same problems, pains, and darkness no longer make us shake, instead we walk among them boldly, using them as opportunities to talk about Jesus.  Yes, we used to be afraid, but now we know more about Jesus and we can talk about it.  Yes, we used to see problems as prime, but now we know that Jesus solves problems and we can talk about it.  Yes, we used to dwell in darkness, but we have seen a great light and we can talk about it.

Fear not, then proclaim the gospel.

Fear Not... Then Sing

How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy! (Psalm 137:4-6 ESV)

Fear Not… then Sing

The Judeans exiled to Babylon had reached the end of their fear.  Traveling 1678 miles from Jerusalem to Babylon was undoubtably terrifying.  Unfamiliar roads, strange lands, and an unknown new home would understandably be a cause for ulcers, worries, and insecurities.  And that new home involved mocking conquerors, cruel prejudices, and logical hopelessness.

But the people sang.

They sang looking back.  They sang remembering God’s Holy Jerusalem. They sang embracing the joy of God’s presence.

As their new home become more homely, fear retreated.  And in that strange, uncomfortable peace and rest, the people sang.

Some of them sang long past their fears.  Some of them sang just over fear’s edge.  Some of them sang while still fearful.  Some of them sang before they found even a slight end of fear.  But they sang.

Something about music connects us to the after-fear.  When we sing of our God, particularly, such music calms His people, encourages His people, strengthens His people, and moves His people further into His kingdom.  After fear, God’s music prepares, provides, and protects us.

Fear not, then sing.

Fear Not... Then Look

When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds,  I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. (Genesis 9:14,15 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Look

In the midst of a terrible snowstorm, I lost control of my vehicle and spun out on a freeway exit ramp.  Between the blizzard, centrifugal force, and the headlights of other cars, I lost connection with reality and I… was… terrified.

I landed safely, just beneath a stoplight.  I was even facing the correct direction.

And then my fear subsided.

But the next time it snowed hard, fear knocked at my door.  Would the same tragedy occur?  Would my brief history repeat itself? Would I be able to control my vehicle?

But as I drove in the next blizzard, I paid particular attention to the grip my rear tires had on the snow.  I noticed the tracks ahead of me that did NOT swing into the ditch.  I observed the traffic patterns around me.  And those things diminished my fear.

Events which cause fear tend to repeat.  Economic swings repeat.  Illness come in waves.  Relationships that struggled yesterday will have struggles tomorrow.  Bad weather re-occurs.

In Genesis 9, God promises something about this.  He promises Noah (and us) that when it starts to rain, we do not need to fear earth-wide flood.  I expect that the first time it rained after the ark landed, Noah and his family got a bit nervous.  I expect that lightning flashes and thunder made them a little afraid.  I expect that the first long rain made Noah want to reach for a hammer and saw.

But looking at the rainbow calmed them.  Not because rainbows are soothing.  But because God gave the rainbow to remind Humans that God promised He would not do that terrible flood thing again.

I believe and observe that God gives us those kinds of signs often.  He gives us wedding rings to remember promised fidelity.  He gives us sunny days and rainy days to remind us of His provision. He gives us the cross to remind us of THE CROSS.

Problems will keep coming, even after Jesus has dealt with our fears.

Look around for the rainbows God shows us to calm our NEXT fears.

Near not, then look.

Fear Not... Then Obey

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, (Genesis 7:1 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Obey

Little Jacob had been hit by the pitched baseball the last time he was up to bat.  He did not want to stand in the batter’s box again.  But I sat down with him and said some encouraging words.  Eventually he stood up.  He declared that he was not afraid.  He looked me in the eye and repeated the coaching commands I had pushed that week. 

“Lean on the back foot.  Grip the bat firmly.  Swing with my waist.”

And he hit a home run, his first of many.

Obedience is not respected these days.  Many folk think of obedience as doing something we do not really want to do.  But actually, Noah knew that obedience is something we get to do when we are no longer afraid.

God’s coaching words are more important than mine were.  And the instructions God gave to Noah were not useless commands, meant to test Noah.  They were telling Noah the right thing for Noah to do.

Get in the ark.

When fear is gone, we do not need to feel lost or insecure.  God has told us what to do.  Choose actions that enable you to love God, and others.  Choose actions that build up, and not destroy.  Choose actions that come from your relationship with Jesus, and not from your self-focus.

Fear Not, then obey.

Fear Not... Then Worship

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28 ESV)

Fear Not… then Worship

We often call the Apostle Thomas, “doubting.”  And he did doubt.  We could also add adjectives like fearful, timid, worried, or hesitant.  Because he does seem to be those things, too.

But at the end of this episode, he has left fear behind.  Thomas is no longer afraid, timid, worried, or hesitant.  Instead, in a simple format, Thomas worships.

His exclamation does not include a Call to Worship, two Hymns, a Congregational Prayer, or a Sermon.   But it is worship, nonetheless.

From start to finish, worshippers declare, “my Lord and my God!”

Thomas is not one of the major actors in the book of Acts.  He is listed as among the apostles gathered in Jerusalem after the Ascension of Jesus to heaven. (Acts 1:13) But Thomas is not one of the key evangelists or martyrs described in Acts. 

Maybe because here, standing among the remnant of his fears, Thomas does enough. He worships.  He worships because now that fear is gone, he can.  He worships because now that fear is gone, He can see Jesus as He is.  He worships because now that fear is gone… there is nothing better or higher to do.

In those peaceful-ish moments after fear has been vanquished, we get to do the same thing.  On Sunday, yes!  But in the moment at home, in the car, at work, in the middle of the night.  Do not let fear be defeated without following Thomas’s example.

Fear not, then worship.

Fear Not... Then Share

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (II Corinthians 1:3,4 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Share

I once played an exploration and hide-and-seek game in the tunnel-like basement of a friend’s dad’s warehouse complex.  We had no lights, no map, and no knowledge of where the tunnels really led.  While we started in good spirits, eventually we become uncomfortable, then worried, and finally scared.

We crawled when we had to, stood when we could, and eventually gripped each other in a longish line of terrified teenagers.  We were lost, impatient, embarrassed, and frightened.

I found myself near the end of our centipeding line.  It was so dark that I did not know if my eyes were closed or open.  But I still remember what happened when the first crawler found his way out.

He shouted.

He announced safety.

He, having found peace and an end to his fear, gave hope to the rest of us.

When Christ Jesus provides an end to our fears, we have the same duty as my first-freed friend.

Pass the hope to others.  Pass the joy to others.  Pass the peace to others.

Fear not, then share.

Fear Not... Then Stop Looking

These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.” (Acts 1:10-11 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Stop Looking.

If an angel spoke to me, I would probably listen.  These particular angels seem rather subdued compared to the angels outside of Eden, (Genesis 3:24) Ezekiel’s angels, (Ezekiel 10:19) or the angels singing in front of the shepherds.  (Luke 2:9,13) Perhaps it was because the apostles had already just gotten over the fear of seeing Jesus ascend into heaven.

Jesus told them what to do once He was gone.  He promised them His power and instructed them regarding His plan for Kingdom growth. (Acts 1:9) In fact, in Matthew’s account of this event, Jesus smashed their fears by promising them, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”(Matthew 28:20 ESV)

Who in our right mind would continue to be afraid if we knew Jesus was with us?

And so the angels sent to nudge the apostles off from their mountain did not need to shock them.  The apostles just needed a nudge.  As amazing as the sky-view was, it was time to do what Jesus had said to do.

Perhaps angels do not speak to me because I am in the same position as the apostles.  While it is comfortable in a post-fear state… looking with wonder at the chem-trails of God’s actions around me… I, too, need to be nudged.

And so do you.

We have work to do.

Fear not, then stop looking.

Fear Not... Then Work

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” … the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. (Genesis 3:8-10, 23 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Work

I am afraid of heights.  This is not a useful attribute for a house-painter.  But one morning, my boss, having disregarded my fear, sent me to paint the eaves of a two-story house.  As could have been predicted, I stretched too far, attempting to reach that one far corner… and the ladder and Tom toppled over. 

I was on the ground.  And I realized that I had not broken any bones.  And I realized that the ground was softer than it looked.  And I realized that falling fifteen feet was not as bad as I had anticipated.

And my fear of heights, for that summer anyway slithered away.

I got back up.  I reset the ladder.  I prepared new paint.  I went back to work.

Adam did that, too.

He had a different job, slightly.  But after his fear was gone, because of God’s Grace and Mercy, Adam went back to work in the garden.

It was not a dazzling, glitzy, showy job.  And he rolled up his toga-sleeves and went back to work.

After the fear is lessened… we have work to do!  And maybe it is the same work we had before we were afraid.

Fear not, then work.

Fear Not... Then Solitude

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and  (I Kings 19:9 ESV)

Fear Not… then Solitude

Elijah had seen God do amazing things.  Just a little while ago, He saw God embarrass the false priests of Baal, bring unexpected rain, and bring victory against Ahab and Jezebel.

You would expect Elijah to be confident in God.

But even though those fears were overcome, Elijah faced new fears.  Jezebel sought revenge.  The Israelites still did not like Elijah’s sermons.  And so Elijah fled.

After his fear, Elijah sought solitude.

And God spoke to Elijah, there.

After our fears, in between fears, or after new fears, sometimes God is best found in solitude.

In quiet meditation.  In quiet prayer.  In quiet study of God’s Word.  In quiet expectation.

Not in sullen self-pity.  Not in terror-driven hiding.  Not in rejection of God’s Word, God’s Work, and God’s Wonders.

When we see God victorious over the things that have frightened us, the next step sometimes is quiet reflection.

Perhaps because the distractions are less.  Perhaps because in our solitude, we will know we are not alone.  Perhaps because silence really is golden.

Fear not, then solitude.

Fear Not... Then Community

 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. (Matthew 18:20 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Community

Did you ever watch the Saturday Morning Cartoon about a group of children who were plain old kids… unless they were all in the same place, and could CLICK their rings together?  Then suddenly CAPTAIN PLANET appears!

It was a pretty silly cartoon.

But it had a good point.  Together, those children had power.  Together, those children could solve any problem.  Together, those children had nothing to fear.

Our fears can be overcome by Christ Jesus.  But after we are not afraid, problems keep coming.  Maybe even worse than they were before we reached peace.

The next step, the next defense against those fears, the next victory can be found in Christian community.  We might not have a power ring, but we have Christ Jesus.

And He is the answer to our fears!  The fears that we have overcome, AND the fears that will come tomorrow.

Community is great, but not merely because community defeats loneliness.  A community in Christ connects us to Him!  Community in Christ connects us to the reason for our connection!  Community in Christ is the way to forge ahead, after our fears have diminished.

Because Community in Christ is… well… in Christ!

Fear not, then Community.

Fear Not... Then Fear Not

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:30 ESV)

Fear Not… then Fear Not.

Many ailments require only one treatment.  Usually, a broken bone requires one cast.  Usually, a bout with the flu requires one treatment.  Usually, tonsilitis is ultimately treated one time.  But I have a shot of insulin three times each day, every day.   My pancreas fails every day, so I need insulin every day.

Jesus, as a cure for fear, is like insulin.  We need Him repeatedly.

As Peter is walking on the water, right in front of Jesus, Peter becomes afraid.  Even though Peter, through Christ, overcame fear moments ago.  He had stopped fearing the confusing appearance of Jesus.  He had stopped fearing the storm. 

He had his medicine: Jesus.

But now, once more, Peter is afraid.

Again.

The fear disease shows up again.  Like ants at a picnic, mosquitos while fishing, and bad officials at a football game… fear repeats.

And so, Peter cries out to Jesus… once more looking for help overcoming fear.

The process for Peter’s fear reduction needs to be repeated.  The treatment gets to be applied again. 

Peter might have thought he was over his fear… but instead he found that he got to ‘fear not’ at least once more.

Jesus is the medicine that keeps on curing.

Fear not, then fear not.

Fear Not... Then Laugh

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who dream.

2     Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

       then they said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

3     The Lord has done great things for us;

we are glad. (Psalm 126:1-3 ESV)

Fear Not… Then Laugh

Once, when I was in Middle School, I found myself facing a group of hostile teenagers.  They outnumbered me, and by the look of them, they knew how to handle themselves in a fight better than I could hope.

I thought I had a group of my friends behind me.  So when I said, “WE will make you move out of our way!” The others just smiled.

I turned around and realized my predicament.  I was terrified.

So I laughed.  A weak, timid, embarrassed sort of laugh.

And ran.

But that is not the kind of laughter that the Psalmist presents.  I laughed in desperation and fear.  I laughed to distract them.  I laughed because I could not think of anything else to do.

But the Psalmist laughs because he (and all of Zion) realized that God had done great things.  He (and all of Zion) realized that God had turned their sorrow into joy.  He (and all of Zion) realized  that their fears had been bathed, drowned, and destroyed by God’s goodness.

When our trust outweighs our fear, we can laugh like that.  When our faith outweighs our fear, we can laugh like that.  When our hope outweighs our fear, we can laugh like that.  When our awareness of the incredible love of our God outweighs our fear, we can laugh like that.

When we stop being afraid, laughter has room to take root.

Now what?  Laugh!