Fear Not

…fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

(Isaiah 41:10)

Meditation

For some people, including me at times, worrying is one of the things we do best of all. From worrying about our financial well-being, or the dread of a natural disaster, or our own mortality, can weigh heavily on us and drag us down. Our courage seems to melt away when we go through life wondering when the hammer is going to drop on us. If we rely on the support of family or friends to bolster us, they often let us down because they have their own fears to deal with. Many people will turn to drugs and/or alcohol to escape. Or, they try to find comfort by jumping from one sexual relationship to another. They simply can’t face what might be coming all alone.

Sadly, believers are not immune from these feelings of fear, because we lose sight of the fact that God is our strength. We think we’re somehow going to affect an outcome if we worry enough about it. God doesn’t say it’s okay to fear a little bit. Nor does he say to fear this thing over here, but not that thing over there. No, he says fear not, over one hundred times throughout the scriptures! Religious scholars develop major doctrines built around something mentioned in scripture just three times. If God tells us to fear not so many times, it’s probably a good idea to obey. The ability not to be fearful does not come from us, but from trusting that no matter the outcome, he holds us to his bosom, forever.

You can try to fix the problems you encounter in your own strength or you can rely on the One who has overcome the world. He didn’t just overcome the ultimate bullies of the world, the Romans. He didn’t just overcome the hypocritical Pharisees and Sadducee. He didn’t just overcome the doubters or his betrayers. He overcame all of those and death to boot. If he can overcome all of that, what can he do with your problems, as big as they may seem to you? Yes, there are dangers in this world that could take our lives, but if we trust in the Lord, that will only be the beginning of our eternity with him. Nothing that might come against you can wrench you from the grasp of his mighty and righteous hand. Put your trust in him and he will take care of everything else.

Prayer Time

Father God you are an awesome and mighty God. We know you are with us always, and we are grateful not to be alone. You have told us in your Word not to fear. Even with that command, we still find things to worry about. In our everyday lives, we want to be happy, but it’s a fleeting feeling when our thoughts and actions are dictated by our fears. Sometimes the things that cause us angst are trivial, sometimes they are very serious. Father teach us that no matter how much a situation scares us, we cannot affect the outcome one iota, no matter how much we worry about it. Thank you for the assurance that you are the guardian of our souls, so nothing that happens will endanger our eternal destiny. Help us to not get discouraged when things don’t go the way we want them to. Strengthen us when we feel weak, forgive us when we lose heart, and encourage us when we falter. Thank you for protecting us with your powerful and righteous right hand. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen!