FEAR NOT

“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)

What a promise! There’s no need to be afraid—help is already here. God has promised to be with His children. Are you His child? Really, truly sure? The beautiful truth is this: anyone who receives Jesus, believes in Him, and trusts in His love, and asks for the forgiveness of their sins has the right to become a child of God. It’s that simple.

Fear is something everyone faces. It’s part of being human. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean we have to live with it. We often think that if we’re in a group, facing a common enemy, we’ll find strength together. But the reality is, fear can paralyze even the strongest communities. It can cloud our judgment, hold us back from making decisions, and make us feel like we’re running out of options. It can bring regret, shame, or worse, hopelessness.

Sometimes fear may seem reasonable based on our experiences or cultural conditioning, and then too often we allow ourselves to imagine worst-case scenarios and even manage to magnify the threat before us. Yet, help really is available if we can take our focus off the threat and turn our eyes to God. No doubt, fear is powerful - just ask anyone who has been overwhelmed by it. But here’s the truth: fear is not all-powerful. Only God is.

The Bible tells us that perfect love casts out fear. When we embrace God’s love, fear loses its grip. It can no longer torment us. There is no fear in love because God is love. Fear—whether it’s fear of failure, fear of the unknown, or fear of death—can choke the life out of us. And, for many, the fear of death is one of the greatest fears. It’s the uncertainty of what happens after we leave this world. But here’s what Scripture says: “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that, judgment”. That being said, here’s the good news: through God’s mercy, if we allow His love to fill our hearts—through the power of the Holy Spirit—we can live fearlessly, not just in this life, but for eternity. The fear of death no longer has the final say when we walk in God’s love and His promise of eternal life because we would have the assurance that to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord – talk about a Holy Graduation. What a day of rejoicing it will be!

We need to understand that fear is a spirit and it seeks to control our hearts. But as we grow in our relationship with Jesus, as we walk daily with Him and allow His Word to shape our hearts, we become stronger in our faith and we get better at walking in the attributes of the Holy Spirit who resides in us - power, love, and a sound mind. God knows life in this world is hard—He never promised it would be easy. But He has promised He will never leave us nor forsake us. He’s with us, and He’s giving us the strength we need for every battle.

Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves: We have power. Not because of anything we’ve done, but because the Holy Spirit lives in us. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us today. Let’s believe that. Let’s declare that. And let’s stand firm, knowing that fear cannot defeat us when we have the God of the universe on our side.

Remember the story of David and Goliath? It’s one of the most powerful examples of overcoming fear with faith. Israel was facing an impossible situation. Goliath, a giant warrior, stood mocking the entire army of Israel. His size, his strength, his weapons—everything about him was intimidating. For 40 days, he taunted them, daring anyone to come fight him. And yet, not a single soldier stepped forward. Fear had a grip on them.

But then a young boy named David entered the scene. He wasn’t a trained soldier; he was just a shepherd bringing supplies to his brothers. But when he heard Goliath mocking the living God, something stirred up in him. While everyone else cowered in fear, David saw the situation differently. He wasn’t intimidated by the giant; he knew his God was so much bigger.

David didn’t have armor or a sword, but for this battle, he didn’t need them. He had experience fighting with God’s strength, and he knew that when God is on your side, nothing shall be impossible. So, armed with a sling and five stones, David stood before that giant with righteous boldness. And with one stone, he struck Goliath down and then used the giant’s sword to finish the job. What a victory! The Philistine army fled in terror, and Israel won the battle.

Just as David called upon the name of the Lord and faced the giant without fear, so can we. When we remain in His presence, when we trust in His strength, we will not faint in the day of adversity. God has given us everything we need to stand firm, to fight boldly, and to walk in the victory that He has already secured for us.

A few verses to reflect on:

John 1:12-13; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 4:18; Hebrews 9:27; Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 2Timothy 1:7; Matthew 1:23; John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:11; 1 Samuel 17:1-58; Proverbs 24: 10