Discover the Book - June 3, 2008

Fear Not!

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God.” ?Isaiah 43:1b-3a, emphasis added

It is just like our Lord to speak to us when we need Him the most. His tender “Fear not!” can calm the storm in our hearts regardless of the circumstances around us. Consider how He assured these great saints: (Emphasis added in the verses below.)

·        Abraham: The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1).

·        Isaac: And the Lord said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you” (Genesis 26:24).

·        Jacob: So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there” (Genesis 46:3). In other words, God said to Jacob, “Don’t worry! I am running this.”

·        Daniel: “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong! ” (Daniel 10:19).

·        Mary: Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). Do you know what that word “favor” is? It is grace. If you are saved, you have been graced with grace! Thus, there is no need to fear.

·        Peter: And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:10).

·        Paul: “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you” (Acts 27:24). That was when he was in the storm.

I love highlighting verses like these in my Bible so that when fearful times come, whatever shape they take, I have an instant source to remind me of God’s promises! The next time you are afraid, and fear comes over you as you feel alone and defeated, claim by faith the presence of the Lord, for He truly is with you.

Do you recall that Hebrews 13:5?“I will never leave you nor forsake you”?is from Joshua 1:5? God never changes: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). God said to Joshua, “I have been with you in the past, and I will never leave you. I am right by you, and I want you to experience My presence. When you feel My presence you will not fear.” He says the same to us today!

Isaiah 41:10 is a wonderful promise: “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.” Have you caught the connection that “fear not” always comes with an “I am with you”? As parents, we like to say that to our children, don’t we? During storms in the night when my little ones have felt insecure, I have comforted them by saying, “Daddy’s here!” Oh, it has been so sweet! I remember a precious time when my youngest, Elizabeth, was troubled about something, so I went into her room and said, “I am here, Elizabeth!” I loved it when I saw her relax, crawl back in that tiny little bed, and snuggle up to her blanket once more. She felt as secure as if she was in Fort Knox. She simply had forgotten for a moment that Daddy was there, but once she was reassured, she could rest once more.

As a beloved child of God, when you are afraid, cry out to Him, “Abba, Father!” (Romans 8:15). Since “Abba” is the equivalent of the English words “Daddy” or “Papa,” listen for His comforting voice as He says to you, “Fear not! Daddy’s here!”

Make a choice to live in hope: “Fear not!” is the most repeated negative prohibition in the Bible, used no less than seventy-two times. Fear is not from God, for He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear comes from our flesh; it surrounds us in the world, and it is the realm of the devil. So when the signs of end times multiply, and you are feeling anxious or fearful, ask God for His peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Jesus says to you: “Do you want to live in hope during fearful times? Have a Word-filled life, and you will experience My presence as never before?for I am your eternal refuge and hope.”

I exhort you to meditate upon the words of this beautiful song, and then worshipfully sing these praises to the Lord!

Jesus the Very Thought of Thee

Jesus, the very thought of Thee

With sweetness fills my breast;

But sweeter far Thy face to see,

And in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,

Nor can the mem’ry find

A sweeter sound than Jesus’ name,

O Savior of mankind!

O Hope of ev’ry contrite heart!

O joy of all the meek!

To those who fall, how kind thou art!

How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? Ah! This,

No tongue or pen can show

The love of Jesus, what it is

None but His loved ones know.

?Latin Hymn, 12^th Century, Tr. Edward Caswall, 1814-1878