Be Not Afraid
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” -Joshua 1:9
God is continually telling His people to not be afraid. In all its different forms and wordings, it is perhaps one of the most used phrases spoken to God’s people: fear not.
Why is this concept so important? Because fear blocks us and keeps us from doing God’s will. When God tells us to do something, and then He tells us that He is with us, it gives us courage. When He tells us to not be afraid, it strengthens us to go out and do the things that He has planned for us. This is all very important to the Christian because the things that God requires us to do can be very difficult and intimidating! We need His strength.
God gives peace to those that walk in His will
When we become so paralyzed with fear that we cannot or will not perform God’s will, then we take upon ourselves a heavy burden. For when the children of Israel were to exit the wilderness and enter into the promised land, they were afraid, and refused to go. As a result, they all wasted away for the next forty years. If they couldn’t do God’s will, what good were they?
“But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?” -Hebrews 3:17-18
If we are called as God’s people, we ought to know and do the will of God. If we cannot because we are afraid, we ought to hear God’s words to us, and listen to His voice as He spoke to His people in the past, so that we might gain courage and do the will of God. Or else, if we, being the people of God, cannot do the will of our God, what good are we?
Take a look at all the times throughout God’s redemptive history that He has told His people, in one way or another, to not be afraid:
To Noah and his family:
“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth” (Genesis 9:13). God knew that Noah would be afraid to exit the ark, after the horrific rain. He gave him a sign: the rainbow, so that he wouldn’t be afraid. It was then up to Noah to trust in this sign, and exit the safety of the ark onto dry land.
To Abraham:
“Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” -Genesis 15:1
To Hagar:
“What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.” -Genesis 21:17
To Isaac:
“I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee…” -Genesis 26:24
To Joshua:
“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” -Deuteronomy 31:8
“Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai…” -Joshua 8:1
“Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.” -Joshua 10:25
To Solomon:
“Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.” -1 Chronicles 22:13
“And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.” -1 Chronicles 28:20
To the nation of Israel:
“Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” -2 Chronicles 20:15
“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.” -2 Chronicles 20:17
“Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:” -2 Chronicles 32:7
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” -Isaiah 41:10
“Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.” -Jeremiah 30:10
“But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.” -Jeremiah 46:27
To Jeremiah:
“Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.” -Jeremiah 1:17
To Ezekiel:
“And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.” -Ezekiel 2:6
“As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.” -Ezekiel 3:9
To Zacharias:
“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.” -Luke 1:13
To Mary:
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.” -Luke 1:30
To Joseph:
“Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” -Matthew 1:20
To Peter:
“And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” -Luke 5:10
To Paul:
“Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.” -Acts 27:24
To all Christians, from Jesus Christ:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.“ -John 14:27
Related posts:
Leave a Reply