“And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you…'”
Acts 18:10
While no one likes to admit being afraid, the truth of the matter is this: WE ALL TEND TO BE CHICKEN. Even the great, courageous, Apostle Paul had to be encouraged by God to stop being afraid.
It has been said that there are 365 “fear nots” or the equivalent thereof in the Bible. There is a “fear not” for every day of the year! WHY? The reason is simple: You and I have a natural tendency to get afraid every single day.
Are you afraid today? Are you afraid about your job, or the economy, or your marriage, or your family, or your health, or your finances, or failure, or the future, or standing up for Jesus in your community? What is the remedy for fear?
You are safe in the strong arms of Jesus. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5). And even when you walk through the deep, dark valley of the shadow of death, you don’t have to be afraid because your Shepherd is with you there (Ps. 23:4). He is Jehovah-Shammah, the LORD ever-present!
Just as God’s Word came to Paul to calm his fears, so God’s Word comes to you today in the form of this article to calm your fears. If you have received Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, He is with you and will see you through any and every situation. (If you have not yet received Him, you need to do it!) Let go and relax in His strong arms as you trust that He is God and in control of everything (Ps. 46:10). Thank Him for His promise, and praise Him for the problems you are facing. Remember, you are going THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death; you are not going to live there permanently.
What is the remedy for fear? (1) Do what God says to do. (2) Know that God is with you.
Pastor Olakunle Yusuf, Lead Consultant, Above Media & General Overseer, Grace Assembly Christian Ministries. He can be reached via 08023423396 or email: [email protected]. Shalom!