Strength is not tested or demonstrated during times of ease. Rather, it is during times of adversity that one finds out just how strong he is.
God looks for opportunities to show Himself strong in the lives of His saints. This is true both historically and in the lives of His people living today.
God works in mysterious ways! At times, in order to bring about His desired plan in the lives of His own people, the Lord strengthens the hands of His enemies.
A cursory read of today’s passage might lead someone to believe that it contains a glaring contradiction. Yet, the passage simply makes a distinction between the two main kinds of fear, the fear of man and the fear of God. God instructs His people not to fear the things of the world so that they might know the fear of the Lord. Each of these fears reflects the level of faith. A fear of the world reflects an absence of faith. It further reveals a lack of trust in God to provide or take care of the believer. The Lord warned His people to overcome the fears of this world based upon His own presence (Genesis 15:1). Yet, the fear of the Lord is founded strictly upon faith. Those who fear the Lord trust in Him (Psalm 115:11).
