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| You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3) |
You see, my friend's life has taken an immediate turn for what seems like the worse due to circumstances beyond her control and now she is afraid of what will happen to her and even more so to others who have also been affected.
Apostle Paul tells us that he had “learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor”. He went on to say that he “can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength” (Ephesians 4:12-13 CEB)
Are you always afraid or fearful for one reason or another? Well
like Paul, turn to the One who gives you strength to endure whatever comes your
way.
The Word of God says that a person is a slave to whatever he
gives into? Yes, it does in 2 Peter 2:19, check it out for yourself. If you,
like my friend, are worrying or anxious for everything, endlessly fixated on
your challenges and difficulties – some warranted, others contrived – and
afraid of the outcome, then you are enslaved by your fears.
No need to Fear…
Throughout the Old and New Testaments are instances where
individuals and groups of people are told to not be afraid.
Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand
still and watch the LORD rescue you today…” – Exodus 13:14 NLT
"Do not be afraid of them," the LORD said to
Joshua – Joshua 10:8 NLT
“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” –
John 14:27 NIV
In his letter to Timothy, Paul wrote,
“The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit
is a source of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 ERV
Beloved, God never meant for us to be a people afraid but
people who would trust the intent of His heart and believe that He desires
nothing but our benefit.
No need to Fear…
God has promised you and me that the plan He Himself has
designed for each and every one of our lives is great (Jeremiah 29:11-14) but
we have to cooperate with God by believing what He says. Instead, we believe
that it’s natural to be afraid, even of our own shadows, not realizing that to
constantly think this way only keeps us rooted in fear.
Isaiah 26:3 assures us that if we keep our minds fixed on
God, He will keep us in perfect peace. However, this cannot be properly done by
means of our own power, we have to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power.
No need to Fear…
God gave to us a powerful, loving, and disciplined Spirit,
upon whose power we must draw if we are to truly overcome the fear to which we
have given dominion over our lives.
Being continuously afraid gives fear a stranglehold on your
mind and in turn your heart, and this chokes the life out of what you believe
concerning God’s promises toward you.
Fearfulness wreaks havoc in every area of your life; your
general sense of perception is hammered askew, causing you to fall into a state
of unbelief and making you unable to accept God’s testimony about you as a new
creation in Christ Jesus. Consequently, you are not able to exercise even your
mustard seed sized faith.
No need to Fear…
Beloved, the sincere faith you had when you first believed
in the Saviour, is that same faith you must keep ablaze even in the worst of
circumstances. You must come to the realization that it is the same God who
lovingly sent His only Son to die for you who is working all things together
for your well-being. So, there is no reason to be afraid, is there?
God knows what’s coming and it’s never for your harm but
always for your ultimate good. If you continue to fear for your life and of
what’s to come, you haven’t yet recognized your loving Father and the abundant
blessings He has in store for you.
No need to Fear…
We tend to give too much significance to our fears. Please,
don’t let fear steal your reward (see Matthew 25:24-29).
Traversing on the road to Pentecost, surrender to God, whatever
you are fearful about and allow Him to redeem it for something that is worthy.
Let the transforming power of His Spirit transform your life, and beloved, be
anxious for nothing (see Philippians 4:6).
Amen†
Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: No need to Fear” ©
2017 revisited May 9, 2025
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