Fear Not

"Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
-- Isaiah 41:10

All of us have fears, some minor, some very major. Some fears are of physical things, like spiders or snakes. Some arise because of our dread, our not being prepared for what may come. We may know something difficult lies ahead in our day and all we want to do is crawl back in bed and hide under the covers.

Our fears grow as we age. As children, we were afraid of monsters in our closet or under our bed, or the upcoming math test in school. As teens we felt dread and near panic on our first date, our first kiss. Later our fears arose from more intangible sources: our jobs, our futures, our own abilities. Will we be able to reach retirement, and will we be able to live on what we retire with? Can we protect our loved ones when the need arises? Will the boss like our proposal? Will my spouse still love me when I tell them what I did?

Questions. Fears. Dreads. Our heartbeat quickens, our breath comes in ragged gasps, our hands tremble, our spirits flag and grow weary.

Many of us fear death, for the unknown that it carries. Even those prepared in every possible way still wonder and worry about their last breath, for they fear the pain that may come with it. Yet there are some who walk among us that are not afraid of death, they may even welcome it. No, they fear life, and living one more day. Their fear is of the known, for each and every day for them is filled with pain, with suffering, with loss. They find no rest and little joy, their worlds closely resembling the trials of Job. They fear that each tomorrow may offer simply more of the same, and that becomes unbearable.

We all have fears, we are all afraid of something. But God tells us not to be afraid, that He will hold us, help us. Don't be afraid, don't despair, for He will lift us up and uphold us by His mighty and righteous hand. When we are weak, he will strengthen us. That is His promise, as relayed to us and recorded for all time by His servant Isaiah. Our Lord is there, all the time. We need only reach out to Him when we are afraid. Trust in Him when our fears threaten to overcome us. Relax and rest in His loving hands, protected from worldly woes. How can we fear death, when Jesus our Christ conquered death by His sacrifice for us? How can we fear life, when our Savior went before us to prepare a place for us beside Him for eternity? What fear or dread can life or death hold over us, when our glorious and awesome God holds us in His loving hands?

When our child awakens in the night, frightened from some nightmare, we rush to their side, hold them in our arms, and say "Hush, don't be afraid. I am here with you. I will protect you." God is saying the same thing to His frightened children. "Don't be afraid. I am here." Reach out, take His hand, trust in His strength and righteousness and grace, and fear no more.