Do Not Be Afraid
Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you
are now fearing; do not be afraid of him,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I am with you to
save you and deliver you from his hand.
Jeremiah 42:11 (NASB)
In our humanity we are prone to fear, even the bravest individuals have something that strikes fear into their hearts. We often make light of some fears, such as the fear of spiders or even clowns. but to those gripped by that fear they are no laughing matter. In yesterday’s devotional on verse 10 we saw the Israelites being told to “Stand Firm” in their own land, that God Himself would provide for and protect them. In today’s verse God addresses their issue with fear of the Babylonians.
Through the prophet Jeremiah God counsels the people not to fear the King of Babylon. By His Omniscience He knows all their feelings, that they are afraid. Almighty God through Jeremiah reminds them of His Might (Omnipotence), that He is far greater than Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. Take note of this awesome promise : “for I am with you to save you and deliver you from his hand” [emphasis mine]. Almighty God, Creator of all things is promising to be with this small remnant of a sinful people, if they would obey Him. Surely this must be greatest encouragement to dispense with the fear of man?
Dear reader, as I read this I remembered my own fears in life, and there have been many of them. I am encouraged by this text though, that my Father God is with me in all circumstances against all my fears. So it is for you today with you, fears big or small are all under the control of your Father God. There is no need to be fearful with Him by our side. He promises not just to be with you, but to deliver you out of your fear. So brethren stand firm in Him, and do not be fearful…He will deliver you!
Alan Kearns is a Christian father and grandfather from Scotland. He was raised in the mining villages of Fife and came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior in 1984. A major influence that leads Alan to Jesus was his Christian mum, grandparents and an aunt. Alan writes regular devotionals in his blog Devotional Treasures
JAMES 4;10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, he shall lift you up”
THE LORD CAN TURN FEAR INTO FAITH,
OPPRESSION INTO OPPORTUNITY,
SETBACK INTO STEPPINGSTONE,
AND PRESSURE INTO PROGRESS
Thank you Isaac, God bless you today.