2 Samuel 15:13
And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
Fear is one of the greatest destroyers of potential because it causes people to flee when they should be marching forward. David made a big mistake when it came to his son Absalom. It says about David in verse 14, And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee…. Nowhere in this verse do you see the LORD telling David to flee. David fled out of fear that his son would kill him. Imagine if David had stayed in the palace and let the country know that he was going nowhere. I believe if David had stayed that the rebellion Absalom planned would have been squelched without the civil war that David’s fleeing caused.
David’s fleeing all started with a messenger who peddled a message of fear by telling David that the hearts of the men of Israel were after Absalom. First of all, this messenger did not know all the hearts of the children of Israel. Secondly, this messenger was giving a message that destroyed the faith of David. This messenger of fear caused much harm that could have been avoided had he been a messenger of faith and courage.
One of the great battles you will fight in your life is to avoid the messengers of fear that try to keep you from living the life of faith and going forward for the LORD. It is easy to succumb to the messengers of fear because they sound real, but I have always learned that most of what the messengers of fear peddle is not true. Let me share some advice on how to deal with messengers of fear.
First, you deal with messengers of fear by believing in the providence and power of God. God is still in control despite what the messengers of fear peddle. The messengers of fear try to pull your attention away from the power and providence of God, and when they are successful is when you run in fear. Always keep your eyes on God by reading His Word, and you will be able to avoid the peddlers of fear that try to destroy your faith.
Second, prayer is the place where you deal with fear. Let’s face it, we all have times of fear, but we don't have to let the time of fear become the narrative of our lives. The best action when the messenger of fear sounds real is to go to God in prayer and let Him know your fears. Prayer has a way of settling your fears because you are giving those fears to the One who can handle them properly, and that is God. When fear grips your heart because of the messengers of fear, always make prayer your first reaction.
Third, never consider retreating when the messengers of fear peddle their message of panic. It is NEVER God’s will for you to retreat. God never gave the believer any armor to cover their backside; therefore, you know it is always God’s will to move forward. Moving forward by faith forces you to pray and look to God’s power, resulting in the message of faith being amplified in your heart.
Fourth, avoid the messengers of fear by staying around the messengers of faith. One of the greatest things you can do is to get rid of any messenger of fear that tries to peddle fear into your heart. Rather, surround yourself with messengers and stories of faith, and you will find courage in times of fear. You will always be challenged to go forward when you surround yourself with messengers of faith.