"I have chosen you and not cast you off;
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:9b-10
I awoke from my dream terrified. I was breathing heavily, unable to calm down for several minutes. I remember only snippets of the dream and none seemed to be terrifying. I don't remember the cause of that which terrified me so but yet I was. I got out of bed and went to get a drink. I was still a little out of sorts but starting to calm down. All the while I kept thinking about what was so terrifying. Then the still small voice of God reminded me, "don't be afraid, you are safe, I am here." I climbed back into my warm bed, snuggled up in the blankets and peacefully returned to sleep. I knew the God was with me and I had no reason to fear.
Fear can cause us to freeze. It can cause us to cry. It can cause us to be wary. With fear, we are afraid of heights, spiders or snakes. We are afraid to try something new or go somewhere we've never been. Fear can stop us in our tracks and keep us from moving forward. But God tells us 365 times to "fear not". He continues with the words; I am your God. I am here. I will help you.
Fear is generated by the enemy. He wants us to be off our game. He wants us to be wary, afraid, and in dread. The enemy does not want us to rely on God, he wants us to be anxious or in dismay. When we are fearful, the enemy can prey upon our minds and make us start thinking we are unworthy, unloved, or incompetent. The enemy steals our joy, all the while laughing at us behind our backs that he has won.
But thankfully, the enemy does not win because we know the Father. We know that "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." (1John 4:18) . That perfect love is Jesus. He is the perfecter of our faith and His love for us casts our fear. I know with all that is happening in the world there is fear. We fear that the world as we know it will soon crumble around us. But we should look on that not with fear of what will happen but with fear, in awe, of God. He will bring back all the things we were supposed to have before the fall of man in the garden of Eden. He will bring us joy, happiness, no pain, and no tears. I should not fear. I should not fear the world. I should not fear my job loss. I should not fear. I. Will. Not. Fear.
"For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you.'" (Isaiah 41:13) . He will be there holding our hand. He says so, His promises are true. All of His promises in the Bible are 100% true. He has never gone back on them. He has always held firm to them. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.". Just think He has given us a spirit of power. Power over fear, anxiety, and worry. Power over the enemy. With the promises of the Bible, we can stand firm in our fearlessness. If we keep our eyes focused on the King, we will be strengthened and will have no fear.
"The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 31:8