The enemy uses blinders to keep people from the kingdom of God and from growing in God. The enemy doesn’t want to see anyone get born again or gain ground so he preys on the weak. The enemy uses fear. Fear of people, fear of failure, fear of new things. Some people won’t try anything new because they believe they will fail–so they never try it.

But, the one fear we want to have is–the fear of God. When we fear God we can’t just sin without conviction. When we fear God, we will obey God.

• Hebrews 11:24-27 New King James Version – 24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. ²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

• Hebrews 11:7 New King James Version –  By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

When God tell us to do something, we don’t have a right to put it off. Who are we to delay when God speaks? We must obey right away. God’s will must be done.

• Luke 18:1 New King James Version – Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 

God does not want us to fear people. We should never get to a place where we are afraid to identify with Jesus. It is better to have Jesus than the applause of man. We always need Jesus.

• Proverbs 9:10 New King James Version – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

What have you learned about God from your getting to know God? Some have learned that God is willing to listen at all times. Others realize that God’s love is far past what we can imagine. He loves us so much. No matter what we have done or said, He loves us and will forgive us.

When we fear God, we will obey Him. Consider Abraham. God called Abraham His friend. Abraham had a track record of obeying God by faith because of his reverent fear of the Lord.

• James 2:23 New King James Version – And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

God knows we have a heart for Him when we obey Him. Words are not enough. Our words must be backed by action.

• Matthew 15:8 New King James Version –  ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

Live a life of readiness. What the LORD says will come to pass. If we live ready daily, we will be ready at all times. No day is promised. We must stay with God and not look back. Consider Lot who lived in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

• Genesis 19:12-14 New King James Version – Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! ¹³ For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” ¹⁴ So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.

Sometimes we need help to get out of a wicked place. God sent angels to rescue Lot who was considered righteous in the Lord’s sight. Lot was given an opportunity to warn his family. But they took the warning as a joke. Some people love sin so much, a warning from the LORD isn’t taken seriously. The LORD told them when I lead bring you out, “Don’t look back!”

This is not the time to ask God why. This is the time to just obey.

• Genesis 19:15 – 17 New King James Version – Then the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” ¹⁶ And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. ¹⁷ So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”

Obey the first instruction from the LORD and do not listen to conflicting voices. Don’t make a deal with the devil. Compromise always results in loss. When we look back, we can end up going back. God says Don’t look back.

The devil will come with three lying doors to tempt us:

1. Door #1 – Look back.
2. Door #2 – Going back
3. Door #3 – Never make it back

God has been replaced in some of our lives with stuff, boyfriends, girlfriends, wives, husbands, children, careers, et cetera. Nothing should be the center of our lives except God. Even our children are own loan to us. Teach them how to be successful spiritually and not just in this life. Earthly success means nothing to God.

A number one trick of the enemy right now is to make us think that living for God is boring.

• Galatians 6:9 New King James Version – And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Don’t get bored serving God. We will regret turning back from the Lord. Don’t go back to past abusive relationships or past sins.

• Luke 17:32-33 New King James Version – Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

We need to be in Christ Jesus and not just with Him. Judas was with Jesus, but he was not for Jesus. He betrayed Jesus. Stay with the LORD and DON’T LOOK BACK.

Don’t even do a double-take at sin or a compromise. Look away from what is tempting and stay focused on Jesus. We can’t make our agenda our God.

Don’t be afraid. Fear is an enemy. Give fear walking papers–get rid of it. Don’t allow fear to live in your house or in your life. To overcome fear we must 1. acknowledge that it is present. 2. Confront it. We cannot conquer what we agree with. Don’t agree with the negative word of the enemy or even your own mind. Agree with what God says about you.

• Isaiah 41:10 New King James Version – 10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

There is another type of fear that we should have and that is–the fear of God. This type of fear is a reverence or respect for God. We should be afraid to disobey God or disrespect Him. People are doing things in the broad daylight that they should be afraid to do. We must always realize that He is the Creator and it is He who has provided our gifts and blessings. He can see everything we do and we will have to give an account for everything we have done and said.

• Matthew 10:28 New King James Version – And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. If we are not careful, we can fear people more than we fear God. God doesn’t want us to be men pleasers. It is better to obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). Hold your standard in Christ even if it causes you to be an outcast.

When we truly fear God, we can’t just sin and not be convicted. If we can sin and it doesn’t bother us, it means we don’t have the Holy Spirit with us.

• Hebrews 11:24-26 New King James Version – ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

Nothing on earth is worth giving up our heavenly reward. When we fear God, we will do what God wants us to do.

• Hebrews 11:7 New King James Version – By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Heaven is coming. We don’t see it yet. But everything God said is coming to pass. When Noah heard God, he moved with reverential fear. Even the animals had the fear of God. The animals were obedient, while the people were mocking. But all the people died in the flood except Noah and his family. God closed the door to the ark, and no one could open it–not even Noah who built the ark.

• Genesis 7:13 New King James Version – On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark— ¹⁴ they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. ¹⁵ And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. ¹⁶ So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.

We must side with God, not man. Don’t follow the majority–follow the Lord. The majority of the people in Noah’s day didn’t believe the message. They were wrong and perished in the flood. But if we have a healthy fear of the Lord, we can be saved.

Pray for the grace to obey when the Lord speaks.