Revelation 1:17 (NASB20) When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
When John saw Jesus in the vision given to him and recorded in Revelation, he pretty much fainted. But Jesus greeted him the same way Angels, or messengers of God greet people - by saying do not be afraid.
When God speaks to people throughout the Bible - either directly or through messengers, His message usually starts with, “do not be afraid.” I asked myself why this is, and Genesis 3:10 came to mind. After Adam and Eve sinned they hid from God. When God called out for them, they responded that they were afraid when they heard Him. That fear has permeated mankind ever since, and that fear blocks us from having relationship with God, so when God wants to say something to us, the first thing He has to do is to subdue that fear within us - or we will not be able to hear Him.
And, when God tells people not to fear it is not usually just so that He can make them feel better, but usually it’s because He has some important thing for that person to do, or something important that He is preparing to do through them.
When God tells you not to fear, it’s usually because He wants to say something to you. And He usually wants to say something to you in order to prepare you for a work that He wants to accomplish through you. You see, our relationship with God is not just a perpetual beach vacation. No. It is a path of responsibility, service, and surrender. When you put yourself in God’s hands you make yourself available to do His will in whatever way, shape, or form that may take.
Not fearing and trusting God is work. The longer I persist in surrendering to God, the more I find this to be true. God gives us hope, but He also gives us responsibility. Abraham, Moses, and David were all blessed with being friends of God, but it cost them a lot of hard work and tough decisions on their part. Mary was blessed with being Jesus’s mother, but, again, it took sacrifice and hard work on her part. John was blessed with the vision that he recorded in Revelation, but it wasn’t given to him while sitting on a comfortable couch in a nice house.
When I started this study I thought that not being afraid meant that I would be more care-free. Now I realize that not being afraid really means not being afraid to do hard things. Not being afraid to trust God. Not being afraid to sacrifice my time, and energy, and resources for God’s glory. Not being afraid of inconvenience, or discomfort, or even pain and suffering.
I’m not saying to seek out hardship. Just don’t shrink back from it when you face it. Be like Paul, knowing how to be content with much or with little, doing all things through God who strengthens you (Philippians 4:11-13). Do not fear, but trust in the Lord.
Revelation 2:10 (NASB20) ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
When you think of extreme fear, one of the things that probably comes to mind is some sort of suffering. Being in a pit of snakes, or a room full of spiders, or some other such play on phobia. In one way, shape, or form your biggest fears probably boil down to some form of suffering.
But what does God say? God says do not fear suffering. That doesn’t mean that you will enjoy it, only that it will not have power over you. And why is that important? Because if you fear suffering then you can be controlled by it - or even the threat of it. And if you can be controlled by it then it can cause you to turn away from God.
God tells us to be faithful until death. He doesn’t promise that everyone who is faithful will die peacefully in their sleep at a ripe old age, but He does promise that everyone who dies with their faith in tact will receive the crown of life.
If life was a sport, the way you would win (the crown) is to die with your faith in tact. If you die without faith, you lose. How you die is not relevant.
God wants people who can suffer without losing faith. I was thinking about it and even old age is a form of suffering - I mean you do eventually start to lose health, and abilities, and perhaps even faith. It made me think of Noah. Before the flood people lived for almost 1,000 years. That’s a long time to live this life. And what happened was that almost the entire population of the earth lost their faith in God. And after the flood God lowered our life span to almost 100 years. I think that was an act of mercy. God saw that it was nearly impossible for people to keep their faith while suffering this life for that long, so He, in a way, made it a little easier on us.
I say all this to point out that suffering does not only happen in dungeons. Suffering is something many of us deal with on a daily, or at least somewhat regular, basis. It can be external, or internal. It can be physical, mental, spiritual, or all of the above. And God says not to fear it.
Walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but fear no evil, for the Lord God is with you, guiding you with His rod, and protecting you (your soul) with His staff. Do not be afraid, but trust in the Lord.
For me this whole study on Do Not Fear boils down to this: Do hard things! Do not be afraid, but trust that God will use you, and guide you, and provide what you need to accomplish His will through you.
The hard things are not necessarily the one-off things, but are more likely to be the daily things - like doing the right thing instead of the convenient thing - like telling the hard truth instead of the convenient white-lie - like regularly reading several chapters of the Bible every day instead of jumping into social media - like praying for people when you don’t know what to say - like saying no to the social norms and peer pressure and instead holding strong to the values and beliefs that God has given you through the presence of His Spirit.
Trust God. Trust that God has a purpose for you. Trust God to guide you in His ways according to His purpose and plan for your life. Trust God to provide for your spiritual needs. Trust God to protect your soul. Trust that Jesus has purchased you with His blood, and that you have an eternal place with Him in heaven. Trust that this life is only part of God’s plan, and that everything you suffer here will not even compare to the joy you will experience for the rest of eternity in His presence.
Do not be afraid to do hard things. Do not be afraid to follow God. Do not be afraid to use your gifts. Do not be afraid to share your faith with others. Do not be afraid to invite God into every aspect of your life. Do not be afraid to love. Do not be afraid to be loved. Do not be afraid to ask for forgiveness. Do not be afraid to forgive. Do not be afraid to suffer. Do not be afraid to die. Do not be afraid to live.