Fear Not

Posted On October 30, 2022

“Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.”

1 Chronicles 22:13 ESV

“Do not fear, beloved. Peace! Take courage and be strong.”

Daniel 10:19 NABRE

It’s almost Halloween, a time when we tend to focus on things that are a little frightening, but God tells us over and over in the Bible not to be afraid. So this week, I thought we could look at some of these “fear not” verses and draw encouragement from them.

In His Word, God promises to fight for us, save us, strengthen us, and be with us. That’s good news, because this broken world can sometimes be a terrifying place! We see shadows surrounding us and fog obscuring our view, and we wonder what evil may be lurking there. But when the path ahead seems scary and dark, we can take comfort in the fact that the Light of the World walks with us.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”

Psalm 27:1

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves,
so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Matthew 10:16 ESV

Jesus made it clear to His disciples, including Christians today, that He is sending us out into hostile territory. So He warns us to be prepared. First of all, we must be wise. We gain wisdom by studying God’s Word and praying for the Holy Spirit to give us insight. But this will only happen if we humbly seek Him with a willing heart. Proverbs 1:7 (GNT) reminds us: “To have knowledge, you must first have reverence for the Lord.” So, as sheep about to be surrounded by wolves, it is vital that we listen to and respect our Shepherd.

So far, so good. I think we can all agree that wisdom and knowledge are important to have before entering a frightening or potentially dangerous situation. But the second condition is a little disconcerting: We must also be innocent. Oh, dear… That goes against our nature completely. But it makes sense if we think about it. We can’t fight evil with evil, and we can’t use sinful methods to do God’s work in the world. The only way to overcome evil and save others who are lost is with the righteousness of Christ. This only comes through faith in Him and obedience to His instructions. So, we must stick close to our Shepherd and let Him guide us. When we do, He will protect us and empower us to do His work.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:4 ESV

“Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 TLB

As someone who was born into the Christian faith, I often wonder what the world must look like to those who don’t know Christ. I imagine it’s even darker and scarier than what I see. I admit, sometimes I let my fears and worries get the best of me, and when I do, the world can appear pretty gloomy. But even in those times, my faith is still there. It gives me strength to overcome the darkness, and it fills me with hope and light.

Friend, if you don’t know Christ, I pray you find His light. It’s not hard. He’s waiting to have a personal relationship with you. Just reach out to Him and ask Him into your life. I have included a prayer at the end of this post if you’re not sure what to say, but the words aren’t important. God knows your heart, and if you ask Him to, He will save you from the darkness.

The picture above makes the world look pretty grim. As a believer, there will be still be challenges to overcome and hardships to face, but the world will look much brighter when you have the light of Christ in your life. Here’s the same picture… See what a difference the Light of the World can make!

“I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NIV

This week’s Scripture passages are all “fear not” verses. May they bring you comfort, encouragement, and strength for the journey ahead. This world can sometimes be a scary place, but with the Creator of light to illumine our path, the future looks bright indeed!

If you have not yet accepted Christ as your Savior, but would like to now, talk to Him and tell Him so. Here’s a prayer from the Chronological Life Application Study Bible that you can use if you’re having trouble finding the words:

“Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from you. Thank you that Jesus Christ died in my place. I ask Jesus to forgive my sin and to come into my life. Please begin to direct my life. Thank you for giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Congratulations! You are now a member of God’s family. Your first steps should be to read God’s Word every day, talk to God often, and seek out other believers to help you on your journey. Find a local church to attend so that your faith will continue to grow. And then get ready to be amazed, because you’re about to begin a wondrous adventure!

References:

• Chronological Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2012.

Images:

• Moon and Sky featured image by Chris Allen from Pixabay
• Scary Path image by Dorothe from Pixabay
• Wolf image by Alexa from Pixabay
• Forest stream image by Alan Frijns from Pixabay (edited)
• Forest path image by Smim Bipi from Pixabay (edited)