Radical: Do Not Fear, God Is Here!

Radical 2

Do Not Fear, God Is Here!

Message by Daniel Carandang

Blog written by Agatha Apolinario

Edited by Ashley Petallano

What’s your greatest fear?

Spiders?

Cockroaches?

Cockroaches AND spiders?

Being left alone?

Fears.

All of us have fears. These are things that will shake you up; something that you will always encounter in this world. It may be a person, an object, or probably an event in your life.

It is in our nature to fear something, to be afraid.

Now, the question isn’t whether or not we’ll encounter things that will cause us to be scared, but how we will overcome these and how we can have security.

Well, there is one answer.

GOD.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you ;I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

This promise of His is actually the most repeated one in the Bible.

As His children, He reminds us that He is ALWAYS there for us which is why we must not be afraid. He is there to strengthen us; assure us that no matter how scary our fears may seem, there is nothing to worry about for we are not alone—we have Him.

Others choose not to draw close to the Lord because they think He’s too far beyond our reach. But let’s get this straight:

Our God isn’t a distant God. He loves us and has genuine care for all His children. And again, He is always with us even when we choose to believe otherwise.

Therefore, we can find comfort and security knowing that our God is with us.

And because God is with us…

I. We will not fear evil

Even though I walkthrough the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

Shepherds guide their sheep when walking through deep and dark valleys. They do this with their rod and staff in hand. Although these valleys can seem very dangerous, the sheep can be rest assured that he is safe and secured with his master by his side.

Like these sheep, we can be assured that we are safe knowing that our good shepherd, God, is with us. Even when we stray away from the flock, He is there to yank us back to Him. He is there to prevent us from making decisions that will lead us to destruction.

Even when the devil attacks us, we will not fear. Because we know there is nothing too scary or malignant when He is by our side. Coming to Him isn’t an assurance that we won’t be facing any difficulties in life. But we can remember that when we will be faced to such, we won’t be alone.

We can face all the troubles and challenges of life with confidence because no matter how difficult or big they are, they will never be too big or too difficult for our God.

II. We will not fear for our needs

Money.

Gadgets.

Relationships.

These are some of the things in the world that we desire. At times, we can go overboard in order to have them. In our heads, we think that we can achieve satisfaction when we have all that we want.

We THINK we need them because we THINK they give us contentment.

But in reality, it is only God who we need. He is the sole cork that can fill the gaping hole in our lives. In Him, we can be contented and find that peace we want.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you;never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

In this verse’s Hebrew translation, “never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” was written as “never, ever will I leave you, never ever will I forsake you.”  It intensifies God’s promise that He will always be there for us. It is like saying that He will not lose His grip on us, that He will not let us go, and that He will NEVER abandon us.

Knowing that we can find ALL we need in God, we can rest and fear no more.

III. We will not fear following God

Have you ever tried getting out of a boat in the middle of the ocean? Probably not, because it can be quite scary knowing that there’s a big (yes, very big) possibility that you’ll drown.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Sometimes, it is similar to what we feel when God tells us to share His gospel to a friend, a classmate, or probably a family member. Instead of instantly obeying Him, we don’t. This is because it is in our nature to fear rejection and persecution. We’re afraid that if we try to preach His word, a lot will condemn us. But we have an all-powerful and magnificent God who has authority over everything and everyone. He has authority over our friends, families, and even those who are in high positions.

Therefore, we shouldn’t be afraid for He will orchestrate everything. He will empower us to do what He wants us to do. He will never leave us alone.

And if ever you happen to be in a situation where you need to get out of a boat in the middle of the ocean, do not fear for He will not let you drown nor will He let you go.