Fear Not For I Am With You

Isaiah 41:10 says, "Fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Fear can rob us of happiness, but God desires that we have boldness and courage. God wants us to be strong and courageous in Him, and not to fear (Romans 8:37). We should not be discouraged by the challenges we face because we are in Jesus, and He has already overcome the world. To overcome, we need to have faith, which we develop through studying God's Word (Proverbs 24:10). Don't give up in the face of adversity, but take rest even in the midst of turmoil. Just like Jesus, who was able to calm the storm, we too can overcome any obstacle with boldness and courage (Mark 4:37-39).

In Luke 8, Jesus arrived at Jairus' home and found mourners. He told them not to cry, for she's not dead but asleep. They laughed at Him, but He took the dead girl's hand and said, "Maid, arise" (Luke 8:54). She came back to life, and Jesus instructed them to give her food to eat. He commanded Jairus not to fear, refusing to consider the negative report. Faith can make you look foolish, but it leads to what you desire.

In John 11, Jesus knew that Lazarus was dead before anyone told Him. He told His disciples that Lazarus was asleep, and they didn't understand. Jesus clarified that Lazarus was dead. He said to Martha, "Thy brother shall rise again" (John 11:23). Martha interpreted it from the standpoint of the resurrection of the dead on the last day, but Jesus meant that Lazarus would come back to life now. Jesus drew closer to the tomb and said, "Lazarus, come forth" (John 11:43). Lazarus came forth, and Jesus instructed them to loose him from the gravecloths.

God is too big to fight, but He protects us on every side with angels. Nothing can hurt us because we are anointed by God. When Saul was persecuting Christians, Jesus asked him why he was persecuting Him. We are members of His body. The Lord laughs at those who think of evil against us (Psalm 2:2-4).

Psalm 91 assures us that those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High are protected by the Almighty. They will be delivered from snares, pestilence, and destruction. Even if a thousand fall at their side, they will remain unharmed. Knowing God is crucial, for those who truly know Him shall be strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32). Faith in the promises of God is what matters. In 2 Kings 6, Elisha and his servant were surrounded by a mighty host of angels (2 Kings 6:17). Jesus also demonstrated that he had power over those who wanted to harm Him, but He chose to surrender Himself to the will of God (Matthew 26:52-53).

Jesus had the power to call upon twelve legions of angels to protect Him, but He did not want to be saved from His destiny of dying for our sins. He declared that He had the power to lay down His life and take it up again (John 10:17-18). As believers, we are now heirs of the covenant that God made with the Israelites. God promises to protect us as we pass through difficult times (Isaiah 43:1-2), as He did with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship a golden statue.

Nebuchadnezzar was furious when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to the statue (Daniel 3:16-18). He gave them another chance, warning them that they would be thrown into the fiery furnace if they didn't comply. The three replied that their God was able to save them, but even if He didn't, they would not serve the king's gods or worship the golden image. The king had the furnace heated seven times hotter and had the three men thrown in. The heat killed the soldiers who threw them in. But when Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he saw four men walking in the fire, unharmed. He called the men out and blessed their God, decreeing that no one should speak against Him. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were promoted (Daniel 3:24-30). We serve the God of Possibilities!!!.

One night, Jesus walked on water to save his disciples who were struggling against wind and waves in their boat. They were afraid, but Jesus calmed them and the wind ceased when he got into the ship (Mark 6:48-51). Despite witnessing Jesus' miracle of feeding thousands, they doubted his power (Mark 6:48-51). However, by relying on the promises of God and using his Word, we can change impossible circumstances. Jonah survived in the belly of a great fish for three days and nights because of God's anointing (Jonah 1:17), and he prayed to God even in this impossible situation (Jonah 2:1-10). Sampson defeated a lion without any weapon because the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Judges 14:5-6).