Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Fear is such a common emotion that it is addressed almost four hundred times in the Bible. Many of us live lives full of fear – some legitimate, others totally unnecessary. Henri Nouwen observed: “Look at the many ‘if’ questions we raise: What am I going to do if I do not find a spouse, a house, a job, a friend, a benefactor? What am I going to do if they fire me, if I get sick, if an accident happens, if I lose my friends, if my marriage does not work out, if a war breaks out? What if tomorrow the weather is bad, the buses are on strike, or an earthquake happens? What if someone steals my money, breaks into my house, rapes my daughter, or kills me?”
On the back of all those ‘what ifs’, Brennan Manning noted: “Once these questions guide our lives, we take out a second mortgage in the house of fear.”
So instead of living shackled by the weight of what if, let’s look at what is true and live accordingly:
The verse above says God is with us. He is our God. He will strengthen, help, and uphold us. That being the case, there’s no need to fear. I remember years back being in a nightclub, and a dance-floor altercation looked like escalating into a violent brawl with me caught in the middle – until my brawny friend jumped next to me and diffused the situation. How much more is God able to come alongside us in whatever circumstance to strengthen, help and uphold us!
Take a look at your own life today: any fearful ‘what ifs’ that need replacing by God’s promises of what is true?
Lord, I choose freedom from fear today, knowing that you are with me. Amen!
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