FEARING NOTHING
“Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.”” Jeremiah 10:5 NIV
There is a kind of fear that only lives because we permit it to live in our thoughts.
In some cultures, witchcraft, curses, and idol gods are spoken of with such seriousness that they begin to occupy the imagination. And what occupies the imagination often begins to feel powerful. But Scripture teaches us to take thoughts captive, to submit every wandering fear to Christ, and to think on what is noble and true.
Jeremiah exposes the foolishness behind misplaced fear. He compares idols to a scarecrow, something that may look alarming from a distance, but up close is nothing more than cloth and straw. It cannot speak, it cannot move and it must be carried by the very people who fear it.
The prophet’s aim is to show freedom to God’s people. Fear survives on distance but faith survives on clarity. When we bring our fears into the light of God’s Word, we often discover that what we allowed to loom large in our minds is powerless in reality.
The idols must be carried but our God carries us. They cannot walk, but our God walks with us. They cannot speak yet our God has spoken. So child of God, the command is simple: do not fear these. Whatever the matter at hand is, bring it before God and weigh it against His word – in the end you will see that only His word is final. Hallelujah!
Prayer: My Father, I thank you for this word. I lay any fears and tame my soul to always lean into the truth of who You are. Teach me to guard my thoughts, to refuse space in my mind to what has no power before You. I am reminded daily that You carry me, walk with me, and speak to me. By grace, my imagination is shaped by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• Psalm 115:4-8
• Philippians 4:8
• Joshua 1:9
