Do Not Be Afraid

Isaiah 41:10

Often it seems we are hit from all sides with trials. Many of us have lived our lives in fear. Yet God tells us not to be afraid. “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10”. NLT.

The Bible and many other books use the word repetition to drive a point home. The term “do not be afraid” or “do not fear” or a variation thereof in some form appear 365 times in the Bible. We are afraid of the presentation at work next week, some do not like airplanes, others are afraid of bullies and even recently COVID. I believe it is the unknown we fear. There are many things happening to us, and we anticipate the things that may go wrong. I remember a doctor saying most things we worry about never happen. We live in fear and when we do ask God for help, many times He brings us through okay. Yes, there are times we give into fear. Yet God is our God. He is with us and will strengthen AND help us.

In a funny paraphrase and non-spiritual example of fear, most of us remember the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Chased by a posse and cornered above a raging river on a cliff, Sundance admits he cannot swim and is afraid to jump. Butch tells him do not to worry because the fall will probably kill them. They do jump and get away. If we end up in a fearful situation, God will still be with us. The key is to trust and not be afraid.