December 4 Devotion

No Fear

What is with “No Fear?” Have you seen it, on cars and clothing, advertising accessories for extreme sports?

I wonder if the people who proudly flaunt that brand-name as a status symbol have any idea that they are displaying the most common command in the Bible.

That’s right…more than any other imperative in the Bible is “fear not” or some variation. In fact, there are 366 “fear not” verses in the Bible. One for every day of the year. Even in leap years.

Why would God tell us so many times not to fear? Aren’t there far worse things He should be telling us not to do?

I think it is because sometimes our fears can keep us from experiencing the great gifts God has already given us.

There are different fears…fear of failure; fear of standing out in the crowd; even fear of success. Fear of all kinds of things.

We may not think of fear as being a sin. Fear can be healthy. It can warn us of nearby danger. It can keep us from getting hurt. It motivates us to move away from danger, to hide from danger, or to be prepared to confront danger head-on.

If fear only happened when it was warranted to keep us out of danger, it would be no problem. But fear becomes a habit for us, and we become worriers. Fear is caused by something external, while worry and anxiety come from within us. This kind of fear and anxiety is what keeps us from trusting and obeying God. In fact, fear could be considered the opposite of “trust.”

Angels visited Zechariah to tell him he would have a son with his presumed-barren wife, Elizabeth; an angel visited Mary to tell her she was pregnant with the Son of God; Joseph was visited in a dream to tell him he should proceed with his engagement to Mary; angels appeared to the shepherds to bring them “good news of a great joy which will come to all the people.” Each time, the visit began with the angel saying, “Do not be afraid.”

Thankfully, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds did trust God enough to be his servants in powerful ways.

Do you hear God calling you? Is He calling you to step out of your comfort zone, to let go of tradition and serve? Don’t be afraid; only trust and obey.

Anonymous