Meditation: Do Not Be Afraid

Be valiant and strong, do not fear nor be afraid of them, nor be terrified before them; for the Lord your God, He is the One Who goes before you and with you and among you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. - Deuteronomy 31:6

Preparing to enter the Land of Canaan, the Israelites were
gathered near the Jordan River when Moses gave his final speech and told them
Joshua would lead them into the Promised Land. It should have been a momentous
occasion – the end of the forty-year journey out of Egypt to the land God had
promised their forefathers. But on the other side of the Jordan, prepared,
armed, and trained military forces awaited them, reinforced by giants descended
from Anak. Ten of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore the land reported
that victory over such enemies was not possible. The odds were against them.
Here, at the culmination of their journey to freedom, they were facing the
near-certain reality of utter defeat. They were under-armed, untrained, without
resources or might or power, and they were to claim the hostile territory as
their own. Even as Moses tried to encourage them and strengthen their resolve,
no doubt many were disheartened and discouraged. The enemy was too great, and
they were too small.

I think a great many of us feel that way – disheartened and
discouraged. Just watching or reading the news can be overwhelming. The
warnings of spread and death are dire. Predictions of economic disaster,
critical supply shortages, and long-term closures are rampant. Unemployment
will be higher than during the Depression. Terrorists are going to take
advantage of our weakened state. Whole industries will be set back and possibly
never recover. Every day, another warning of disaster pops up, and like an
insidious virus of the mind, the challenges and obstacles of the future infect
us with anxiety and fear. It’s exhausting, really, to invest too much time
speculating on things we cannot possibly control. Moreover, infecting today
with fear and worry about tomorrow doesn’t change tomorrow. It just steals
today.

Throughout the Bible, God reassures His people – reassures
us – that He is with us and will never leave us or forsake us. His promises are
unqualified and extravagant. All He asks of us is to trust Him to be Who He
says He is and to do what He says He will do. While almost all of us truly
believe in Him, not that many of us truly trust Him. That is a huge gap in
Christian faith. Faith requires trust, and belief does not. Jesus’ words jump
to mind, “Even the demons believe…” But they do not trust.

Only Joshua and Caleb returned to the Israelites after
spying with confidence that they would indeed possess the land. Their reasoning
was not dependent upon Israelite strategies and might. Rather, the reason the
Israelites would conquer the Land of Canaan was because the Lord would help
them and win the land for them. That is so important for us to recognize. For
every voice saying, you are going to be
okay, there are ten more (maybe a hundred more) telling you that you are
not. The future is awful and dark and
terrible, and nothing good can come of this. That is simply not true. We
are looking at giants and thinking we cannot possibly survive. We must remember
that our God is the One Who goes before us and is with us and among us.
Ultimately, we are a people of faith – faith not in human government, human
science, or human medicine, but faith in the God Who made the heavens and the
earths and all that is within them. He is trustworthy in ways human beings
cannot even aspire to be.

When I started in ministry some years ago, new appointments were
a bit like being in the military. The phone rang, and the District
Superintendent said, “Get a pen and paper. I’m calling to tell you where you’re
moving.” In not a single appointment had I even heard of the places I was being
sent. But, you know what? Every place I ever moved God was there waiting for me
when I arrived.

The same is true for you. God is waiting for you in the
future. He goes before you, and you do not need to be afraid. He has numbered
the hairs on your head and assured you He knows what you need. Second only to
the Resurrection is God’s the promise that He causes all things – not just good
things but all things – to work for
good, if you love Him and live according to His purpose.

We need to be wise, careful, and prudent, but not afraid. Worry
and anxiety about tomorrow help not at
all today. The future is going to be different, but then, the future is always
different. The one constant of human life is change. The other and greater
constant in human life is our God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He never
breaks a promise, never fails in His purposes, never abandons His children, and
never ceases to bestow unlimited forgiveness, mercy, and love. Among all the
authorities being quoted, the most important Authority is not human, but Divine.
He has said He will go before us, be with us, and be among us, and so He will.

Do not be afraid. When tomorrow comes, God will be there
waiting for you.

In Christ –