Fear Not

It’s hard to believe we just celebrated the 4^th of July. Not only have we entered another new month, but 2011 is officially half over.  The flip side is that we still have half of the year left to accomplish the things we wanted to accomplish when we started out this year.

What keeps us from doing the things we were so determined to do at the beginning of the year?  What keeps us from moving toward our goals and our dreams?  I think more often than not it is fear.  I read recently that some form of the phrase ‘fear not’ appears 366 times in the Bible.  That should be a clue for us that fear is one of the enemy’s favorite tools to keep us from the will of God…to keep us from experiencing the joy that life in Christ brings.

Think about it.  Rarely is it a lack of resources that keeps us from doing what we know we should do, but it is the fear of failure, or the fear of what people will think, or the fear of rejection, or even the fear of physical harm or financial risk. But 366 times in Scripture God assures us that we do not have reason to fear if we are following Him and seeking His will.

Do you think the disciples took on the task of changing the world without some fear? Max Lucado writes, “Before they were stained glass saints on the windows of cathedrals, the disciples were next door neighbors trying to make a living and raise a family. They weren’t cut from theological cloth or raised on supernatural milk. They were just an ounce more devoted than they were afraid, and as a result, they did extraordinary things.” 

That’s my challenge as we start this new month and the second half of 2011.  Grow in your devotion to Christ so that you will always be an ounce more devoted than you are afraid. Then you will be able to take on every opportunity that the Lord brings to you over the next six months by replacing fear with trust in Almighty God.

For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13