AL TI-RAH!
She was a delightful character. She ate her lunch every day in the same pretty place. She usually dined on the same delicacy every day. Life was good, the sun always shined. She had no thought about tomorrow. But one day, something happened that caused terror, fright and distrust in her heart. An acorn fell on Chicken Little’s head while she was eating lunch. Oh my God, the sky is falling!!! Oy! Woe is me! This is the worst! The earth is coming to an end. I better go tell the person in charge. Oh no! I will tell all my friends about the terrible devastation about to occur. Oh, woe is me, oy ! oy! Chicken Little enlists friends, mass hysteria ensues. Mistakenly, Chicken Little relies on a bad fox for help, the manipulator who tried his best to destroy her. And all because of an acorn.
Read any newspaper, journal or magazine, view any news show these days and you will be bombarded with fear. Are you fearful of the economy? Are you fearful of the coming of governmental control or lack of control? Are you fearful of elections in this country or in another country? Are you fearful to go outside? Are you fearful to be by yourself? Are you fearful to go on the highway? Are you fearful to eat this or eat that? Are you fearful to look under your bed?
Over 144 times in the Bible, God’s word tells us to fear not, al tee-rah! Just look at the many times that God says Al tee-rah just in the Torah (first five books of the Bible):
Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Gen. 15:1
And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. Gen. 26:24
And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: Gen. 43:23
Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. Gen. 50:21
"Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; Ex. 14:13
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. Ex. 20:20
Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. Num. 14:9
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deut. 31:6
And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. Deut. 31:8
If that is not enough, how about Al Tee-rah in the Gospels:
Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. Matt. 10:26
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Matt. 10:31
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10
Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. Luke 5:10
But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only. Luke 8:50
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. John 12:15
So why are we so carried away by today’s headlines and news stories? Fear affects our emotions. It keeps one weak and defenseless; fear distorts perception. Fear makes one want to hide, and it affects our relationships with others, and so on. A great slogan for fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. This is exactly what fear is- lies, false evidence. Who is the father of lies? Ha satan, the enemy of our souls! Wake up, it is time to realize whose you are, you are the child of the Most High God, you are Ben El Elyon, son of the Most high God, Bat Elyon, Daughter of the Most High God.
Be a Joshua or a Joshua-ette:
No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:6-9)
The anti-dote to fear, the anti-dote to Chicken Little’s plight is courage. Stand strong, be strong in the LORD, stay fixed in His word, and discipline yourself to spend time with Him. Let Him encourage you during these troubling times.
The LORD will perfect that which concerns us Ps. 138:8.
AL TI-RAH!
