This is a wonderful promise from the Lord for Jacob, to the seed of Abraham. By faith the same promise is valid and alive for the people who are purchased by the blood of the Lamb.
Fear not—why there is mention of fear? Fear is a great enemy of mankind; fear kills, and fear develops very serious diseases. Fear brings lack of confidence. This is the age of fear; everyone is fearful of everything. Sometimes these fears are deep-rooted.
1. Deep Rooted Fears.
Because of sin, fear rules in human hearts. Even believers are not exempted from it. Deep-rooted fears are sitting, hiding in our unconsciousness. The negative events, situations, circumstances have not yet come into reality but we anticipate them. We are frightened and fearful, and make a picture of them in our minds so that those fears seem real and start to rule us.
Fear not the deep-rooted fears.
Fear not the fears of the future.
2. Fears of the Future.
Human future is unknown and uncertain for secular people. The future for believers, however, is in God’s hands.
“We do not know what will happen tomorrow but we know who holds our tomorrow.”
Who says, fear not? God says fear not. Why does God say fear not? He gives us a prescription. Why should we not fear? The prescription is simple. Take this prescription, get the medication and you will be healed… I am with you.
God, Almighty, Creator, Omnipotent, Unlimited, Infinite, says to man, who is a weak, created being, fragile and finite in his thinking and strength, Iam with you.
What a great comfort and consolation. God offers man His absolute peace, Fear not, (because) I am with you. When? When you are happy, yes; when you are sad; yes. I am with you in all circumstances; positive and negative, joyful and tearful, in life, in death, in youth in old age… I am with you.
3. Present Sufferings and Fears.
Fear not for I am with you says the Lord. A person I know writes,
Thank you Lord that my mother-in-law has had a brain hemorrhage the last six years.
Thank you Lord that she has diabetes.
Thank you Lord that she has some disturbed memory.
Thank you Lord that she is ninety years of age.
Thank you Lord that she cannot go to the wash room by herself.
Thank you Lord that she is totally dependent.
Thank you Lord that she is bedridden.
Thank you Lord for my father-in-law.
Thank you Lord that he is eighty-six years of age.
Thank you Lord He is on the bed.
Thank you Lord He is bedridden.
Thank you Lord He is passing his stool on the bed.
Thank you Lord He cannot sit up by himself.
Thank you Lord He is suffering from diabetes.
Thank you Lord He is suffering from his backache.
Thank you Lord that my wife has hepatitis C.
Thank you Lord that she has high blood pressure.
Thank you Lord that she has stones in her gall bladder.
Thank you Lord that she had three major surgeries in the past.
Thank you Lord that she has vomiting and loose motion from the last four months.
Thank you Lord I have low blood pressure.
Thank you Lord I have breathing problem.
Thank you Lord I have hepatitis C.
Thank you Lord I have Arthritis.
He further writes, “Thank you Lord for all these circumstances which you allow me to go through daily.”
Is this a Christian life? Is this the reward of following Christ?
FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU.
When I meditate on this verse, all the suffering, anxiety, and fear rolls away because my Creator, my Sustainer, my Provider, my God, my Savior, my Jesus, my Helper, my Comforter, my Peace is with me. His promise is true. His person and presence comfort me.
Then a question arises in my mind: Why does God allows such hardship in our lives… in my life in particular? The answer is because He loves me.
What kind of love is this; a love full of trial and hardship?
The answer is that He cares for me. How? He has put so many burdens on my life! I can’t find all the answers but I read in Romans 8:28 that,
All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
These difficult circumstances are appointed by God for us. God is preparing us, refining us to be better used for his mission and glory. God asked Abraham to leave the house of his father, leave his kinsmen, leave his land, leave everything and move to an unknown destination. Abraham did it without questioning God.
God’s promise of a son for Abraham was given. That promise was fulfilled when every possible human effort was gone. God fulfilled his promise. The boy was born and raised then God again put Abraham to a test; sacrifice his son! He obeyed and God honored his obedience and blessed him; he became the father of the faithful. God used these difficult circumstances to bring Abraham to a higher level of service and blessing.
As I go through the deep waters of travail, I believe God has a special purpose for my life, my family and ministry. He is teaching us some special and precious lessons, which we can never learn otherwise.
We thank God for the school of sufferings. Even in the suffering, His person, peace, presence and power shows that He is with us.
Fear not, for I am with you.
God tells us to fear not for I am with you even to the ends of the earth and I fully understand that all of our suffering is preparation for higher levels of service if we are really found to be faithful and bear the heat of the adverse circumstances.
May our Lord help us to be strong in difficult situations, and May we know experientially that He is with us because He said, Fear not? Why? …for I am with you.
