FEAR NOT

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Fear not.  How many times does something from God start that way?  A lot!  Why?  As a human being, it is something we deal with constantly in every area of our lives.  Fear is the devil’s raw material just like faith is God’s raw material.  The devil needs you to be afraid of something, either real or unreal, either known or unknown.  When we yield to fear and worry, we are yielding to the devil, and we must stop it.  How?  Through faith in God.  By doing what the Word says and don’t worry or have any anxiety about anything but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests know to God.  If you don’t get rid of the fear, it will turn into dismay.  Dismay is when you have just “lost it.”  God warned Joshua on his way into the promised land not to be afraid and don’t be dismayed.  Why?  It was the undoing of his generation.  It was their fear, fear that God couldn’t deliver them, that the giants and the walls were too big, and even that the land itself was not conquerable.  Fear cannot be swept under the rug, and it won’t just go away.  You and I must deal with it.  Sometimes, daily; sometimes, minute by minute. No more fear.  How can we stay fear free?  The Lord made us some promises that ensure we can be free from any and all types of fears.

First, His says, “Don’t be afraid because I am your God.”  Remember, He said to us that He is the only God; He didn’t know of another.  He is not just God to you; He is your Father.  He is our Abba.  In other words, if God has you, then you are going to be ok!  His promise as God is to strengthen us.  The same power that raised Jesus from the dead will quicken you and make you alive.  Confessing regularly what He says about strength will help.  “I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  You are strong in Him, not in yourself.  So, do what Isaiah said and wait upon the Lord and renew your strength.  His promise is to help you.  I am so grateful that I learned that the Holy Spirit, the parakletos, is my helper.  The Lord will help you through everything.  Since that is His promise, I never have to be afraid.  He said that He would uphold you with the right hand of His righteousness.  Jesus Himself is upholding you.  We are seated in Jesus at the right hand of the Father.  In Jesus, we are far above all the devil’s works and every name that is named. In other words, because you have been made righteous, you are seated at the right of God in Christ so you don’t have to be afraid of what the devil can or tries to do to you.  In conclusion, don’t be afraid.  God’s got you!