Be Not Afraid

  "But He saith unto them, it is I be not afraid."

John 6:20

I have always loved the story of Jesus calming the storm, and of Jesus and Peter walking on water. The object lesson of Jesus calming the storms in my heart has always comforted me.

This morning as I was doing my devotions this verse really jumped out of me.  I tend to be a worrier.  It is interesting to note how many times angels, or Jesus have said to different Bible characters "Fear not",  or "Be not afraid".

What is interesting about this verse is that the disciples were actually afraid of Jesus!  Of all things to be afraid of!  But why were they afraid of Him?  Because they didn't see Him for Who He really was.  How many times in my life to my fears boil down to looking at myself, and my problems, instead of looking to Jesus and seeing Him for who He really is?

For example, one of my biggest fears is the fear of failure.  But Jesus says "Fear thou not for I am with thee...I will strengthen thee, I will help thee...."  Isaiah 41:10.  He also says, "I have not given you the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  2 Timothy 1:7.  To me that means that God has given me a brain that can think and reason and learn; when I pray, seeking God, and apply myself to do my studies to the best of my ability, He will help me and strengthen my mind as I study to pass the class, or test etc.  Philippians 4:13 says:  "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

At times I can be afraid of not being able to please people, or of not meeting people's faces.  "Be not afraid of their faces...."  Jeremiah 1:8.  "There shall not a man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life...I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  Be strong and of a good courage...."  Joshua 1:5-6

The same principle applies to any problem I am facing.  "I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears."  Psalm 34:4  "Call upon me in the day of trouble:  I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."  Psalm 50:15.  "Call unto me and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not."  Jeremiah 33:3

To put it as simply as I can: When we know God for who He really is, we will love Him - we cannot help but love him! And then that love will cast out our fears! Fear is caused by looking to our self, our lack of ability to face something that looks bigger and scarier than it actually is. But as we look to Jesus He can give us power to overcome every obstacle! If Peter can walk on water than we can do the impossible through Jesus' strength!

It's simple but powerful:  In seeing Jesus for Who He really is, recognizing He is always there with us, and surrendering our lives to Him moment by moment, we can overcome the fears in our lives!

“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (verse 14). Praise God for this wonderful statement. The possibilities that it presents seem almost too great for us to grasp, and put to shame our weakness and our unbelief. I praise God that I can see my Saviour by faith. My soul grasps the great gift. Our only hope in this life is to reach forth the hand of faith, and grasp the hand outstretched to save. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (verse 29). If we would look away from self to Jesus, making Him our Guide, the world would see in our churches a power that it does not now see." -OFC 252.4