Fear Not

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

Fear and joy cannot coexist. Anytime you’re worried or anxious, you’ve lost the power of joy. Vice versa, when you choose to rejoice, fear has to leave.

It’s interesting to note the order of today’s verse. God doesn’t say, “I’ll strengthen you and then you won’t be afraid.” He says that first you make the choice to fear not—and then His strength comes.

I’ve seen this at work in my life many times. When fear pushes at me and my stomach is in knots, I make a verbal decision. I say, “No, I refuse fear. God, I want your strength.” Time after time, I sense His peace and joy coming in to replace the fear.

As you spend time with God, you cultivate more of this joy, which is a fruit of the Spirit. First Peter 1:8 (NKJV) describes it this way, “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” The King James Version calls it “joy unspeakable.” As you choose not to give in to fear, but to trust God and commit everything to Him, you step into His joy. This joy is so powerful, you can’t even begin to describe it. It’s a sense of God’s presence, flowing out of you to affect the people around you and the situations you’re in.

Today, you can declare, “I’m not giving in to fear. I choose to trust Your love, Father, which casts out all fear. I will rejoice!” As you make this verbal decision, God’s indescribable joy and strength rises within you.