The Lord is calling men and women to become His voice to the nations, but great resistance has taken place. Voices have been silenced because of the fear of man and as a result, people are perishing for a lack of understanding that only prophetic truth can offer.

When the Lord called Jeremiah to become a prophet, Jeremiah initially resisted the call using his age as an excuse. Jeremiah’s misunderstanding of the ways of God was motivated by fear – a fear of what people would think. ^“The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people” (Jeremiah 1: 7-8).

Obedience and fearlessness were the two issues the Lord reinforced in His instruction to a reluctant Jeremiah. Once those two issues were overcome on a personal level, Jeremiah would go on to become one of the most significant and prolific prophets in biblical history.

Paul had to deal with similar issues with Timothy. Timothy was told to stir up the gifts within him to ignite his faith in a time of personal challenge. His gifts had been reduced from a flame to just an ember under the influence of fear. Paul said, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline” (II Timothy 1:7). Self-discipline is more than just living a pure and honorable life. It is a discipline that requires we silence the voice of fear so obedience can take place.

The Lord is tearing down walls of fear and timidity in His Church. Those walls stood in the way of Jeremiah accepting his calling and they were an obstacle Timothy had to overcome so he could finish well. Always present in our calling will be the presence of fear in one form or another. It must be addressed or we will yield the tugs of its leash making us a servant to its commands. 

We must ask ourselves several questions if we are to break free from the leash of fear and move freely with the Spirit. Where have we remained silent because of fear? Is our fear motivated by financial security, maintaining acceptance in our current circle of fellowship, or avoiding the upheaval that will come when we speak the word of the Lord? 

Stepping across the threshold of fear will lead us to the place of our calling. The Lord is pointing out fear in His Church where truth is being muzzled. Expect the sound of freedom to rise in the coming days when voices once held in bondage to the fear of man begin speaking fearlessly the word of the Lord. A new level of clarity will arrive as the Church discovers her fearless voice and begins to speak the truth in love to a confused world held hostage by lies and deception.