Fear not! God says not to be anxious about anything

By Editor | February 10, 2011 |

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9)

Fear. For as long as God determines that we occupy this frail flesh, you can be sure that fear will make itself known sometime during our earthly lives. There are going to be those times when you will fear for your loved ones, for your health, for your safety, for your relationships, for your livelihoods. The list goes on and on.
And yet, as Christians, should we fear? The Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians that “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:5b, 6a). To paraphrase: "God is in control! Don’t worry!" Sadly, we are by nature a fearful people, so this is a lot easier said than done, isn’t it?
“Don’t be afraid, just believe” (Mark 5:36). Jesus once spoke these words of comfort to a distressed synagogue ruler named Jairus, whose young daughter had just died. Then Jesus went to that man’s house, took his lifeless child by the hand and commanded her to arise. And rise she did! Jairus believed in Jesus, and because of the man’s faith, Jesus would return the life of that little girl to her father.
Just believe. In other words, have faith that God has the power to do what he promises. Have faith that God has acted decisively in Christ to rescue you from the perils of sin and death. You want to be strong in that faith. And yet, because you remain under attack by the devil, the world and the sinful desires of your own human nature, these things that oppose you work to produce fear in your heart, and this is the very fear that opposes your faith in Christ. Because of fear, you feel alone. Fear makes you wonder if God really understands how helpless you sometimes feel… when you feel as though you’re standing all alone and in desperate need of some comfort.
God understands. And the upcoming season of Lent stands as indisputable evidence of his understanding, when it comes to matters of true loneliness. Look no further than to the evidence that the Holy Bible presents to us in the portrait of our Suffering Savior. Experience this portrait for yourself; take just a few moments today to read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. You will then understand the extent of Jesus’ loneliness as he hung dying upon the cross. There would be no comfort for Jesus at Calvary. As Jesus took the penalty for all of our sins upon himself, he willingly gave his life in love for sinners, sinners who would repeatedly reject him.
Jesus gave his life in love for sinners, who make all sorts of excuses for their repeated failure to put God’s Word first in their lives. And, yes, you know where I’m going with this…Jesus gave his life in love for you and me.
Do you want to know what it’s like to be really alone? Think about your redeemer. Jesus would be left to the loneliness of the cross so that you and I would never have to experience the loneliness of an eternity without God. Without the shedding of Jesus’ holy and innocent blood, your sin would have left you forever standing alone…in that place reserved for the eternally condemned, a place of unending loneliness and despair.
But thanks be to God, who loves us too much to leave us alone. Look to the cross, and there be reminded that God is always with you. When it comes to the matter of your eternal salvation, God has given you his Word, and that Word was made flesh for you. Through that Word and water, he gives you his Holy Spirit. Through that Word and bread and wine, he gives you the very body and blood of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Through his church, God desires to provide you with these precious means of his infinite grace; God wants to strengthen you and sustain you until this life’s end. Don’t ignore this great salvation. Give yourself fully to the God who has given himself for you. Take full advantage of these holy gifts each and every Sunday.
There is no substitute for what God provides you in his Holy house. Hear his words and take them to heart this day:
“Be strong and courageous, do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).