Fear Not
“Do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.” (Isaiah 8:12)
Devotional Thought: People struggle so much with fear that there are now over 700 different phobias in our dictionary describing the types of fears that people struggle with. There is Acrophobia, the fear of high places. There is Claustrophobia, the fear of tight, enclosed places. There is also Ablutophobia, the fear of washing or bathing, Anuptaphobia, the fear of staying single, Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, and Aviophobia, the fear of flying. There is Ergophobia, the fear of work. You may think that you have some family or friends with that kind of fear. People struggle with all kinds of phobias or fears and those fears rob us of joy, strength, hope and productivity in our lives.
Everywhere we look, fear seems to hold people captive. But God’s message to Isaiah—and to us—is different. He tells us not to fear what the world fears. While others might worry about the future or unexpected challenges, God wants us to place our trust in Him alone. He reminds us that while the world sees chaos, we can see He is in control. Where the world sees problems, we can see He has power. Where the world sees destruction, we can trust in God’s deliverance. Because we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us we can choose not to live with fear of what is happening around us but with faith in the God above us. Embrace His promise today, finding comfort in His love and realizing that in fearing God, we fear nothing else.
Prayer: Lord, help me place my trust in You and not fear what the world fears. Teach me to honor and worship You fully. The world may be filled with fear but I ask that today You would empty me of those fears and fill me with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Follow-Up Activity: Identify a fear that frequently troubles you and find a trusted Christian friend to share it with. Confess this fear to them and take turns praying for each other, asking God for strength, power, and peace. Use this time to support one another in faith, encouraging each other to hold onto God's promises.
