“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV
What are you afraid of? In today’s society, there are so many things for us to fear. Yet, God would want us to remember that we should not be afraid.
A story is told in the Bible of Jesus walking on the water in the wee hours of the morning. The disciples had left Jesus behind to pray after they had experienced the miraculous feeding of more than five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes (Matthew 14:23).
After they left Jesus, they had their own struggles.
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary (Matthew 14:24 KJV).
The word translated as “contrary” is the Greek enantíos, (pronounced en-an-tee’-os) meaning contrary. Enantíos is used figuratively to mean antagonistic. In other words, the wind that day was bad. It was like fighting an enemy.
Jesus says do not be afraid
Then, sometime between 3-6 am (during the fourth watch), they saw something walking on the sea that looked like a phantasm (or a ghost). They were terrified. Now before you judge the disciples for their fear, remember they were in a boat fighting against the wind…
And it was really early in the morning. Then they saw something that looked like a person walking on water. People don’t walk on water. And if they did, shouldn’t the wind affect them too? But Jesus knew their fear and so He spoke to reassure them,
“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27 NKJV)
This encouragement to not be afraid is one that occurs many times in Scripture. God knows the fearfulness of our hearts and so He wants to remind us that we don’t have to be afraid. We can trust Him to see us through whatever it is that cause us to feel afraid.
My friend, the enemy wants you to be afraid because he knows the impact fear wil have on your life. It will paralyse you when you should be moving. It will prevent you from accepting the gifts and challenges offered by your Heavenly Father. Fear will prevent you from living your best life.
What are you afraid of today? Bring your fears to God and allow Him to relieve you of your burden.
Prayer
Father God, than You for the reminder that we should not fear. When we lose courage, help us to remember You are always with us even in the midst if the storm. Give us the courage to do the things we need to do in spite of our fears. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
Pause for Reflection
- What are some of the things that make you fearful?
- How has fear impacted your life?
- Find three or more verses in the Bible where God says do not be afraid. Memorize at least one.
Other actions you can take:
