We Shouldn’t Be Scared When it Comes to God
Matthew writes about Jesus sending out his disciples to tell others about him. In the middle of his lengthy instructions, he simply reminds them, “Do not be afraid.”
That’s good to know. He is about to send them out by themselves to do something risky.
After all, people criticize Jesus; they will certainly criticize his followers, too.
The idea of not being afraid reoccurs often in the Bible, ninety three times. Seventy times the Bible says, “Do not be afraid,” and another twenty-three times it’s shortened to “Don’t be afraid.”
This occurs throughout the Old Testament, starting in Genesis. It continues in the New Testament in the Gospels and Acts, last popping up in Revelation.
Though sometimes this is God’s people telling others to not be afraid, usually it is God telling us. This may be during a supernatural encounter, before doing some hard task, or in the face of a humanly impossible assignment.
We need to not be afraid. And if we follow God, he is with us, and we have nothing to fear.
Of course, this is easier to think about than to actually do. But we can give our fears to God, trusting him to protect us, guide us, and keep us safe. God wants us to live by faith, not cower in fear.
Being bound by fear is only seeing today; being freed from fear is only seeing the eternal.
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 8-10, and today’s post is on Matthew 10:31.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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