August 21, 2024

Isaiah 41:10-13 (HCSB)
10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. 11 Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. 12 You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. 13 For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you.

Ally Jackson
When we hear someone say, “Don’t be afraid,” we appreciate their kind affirmation that expresses comfort and encouragement. The Bible commands us to turn this affirmation into action. “Do not be afraid” is one of the most written commands in the Bible. It might also be one of the most unfollowed. We live in a scary world of genuine uncertainty. After the pandemic and the events that have followed it, I can better emphasize with how bold this command is, because I’ve now lived and experienced tribulations of this world without a veteran survivor sending words of encouragement from enduring a similar trial. For the first time in my life, even experts couldn’t predict accurate outcomes of COVID-19. That’s why the command “Do not be afraid” is written so abundantly often throughout scripture. This command isn’t inviting us to find false hope in the lessening of future anxiety-inducing events we’ll experience. In this life, we don’t get to choose whether we are confronted with emotion of fear. It will always show up uninvited, looking for a place to call home. By making a choice to “not be afraid,” we can actively fill our minds and hearts with fruits of the spirit like peace and patience. That way, when our unwelcome guest anxiously awaits (pun intended) at our doorstep, we don’t have to answer, because it’ll have no place to stay.