We’ve heard that the phrase “fear not” or “Do not be afraid” is mentioned in the Bible 365 times. My Bible has a very good concordance, so I decided to look up a few examples. Today, when everything in our world seems to be coming to a standstill, it’s a good way to spend our time.
The first mention of “fear not” that I found was in Exodus, chapter 14. Moses had led the Israelites out of bondage. They were on their way to the promised land, and God was providing exactly what they needed to survive. No more, no less. But they were not happy. They were in very unfamiliar territory. They were fearful and panicked. They even told Moses that they would rather go back to Egypt as slaves than to die in the wilderness.
We can identify. We want to go about our daily routines, good bad or indifferent. The familiar gives us comfort. We have been told many times to prepare for the unexpected. Disruptions come with no notice, in the form of bad weather, financial crisis, even foreign terrorism. They catch us off-guard, and disrupt our routine.
How did Moses reassure the panic-stricken people? He said “Fear not. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today.” Exodus 14:13. And in the next verse, “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
God has a plan. We need to stand still and see that He will save us. He already has. He sent Jesus to lead us home. Just like Moses led the Israelites across the dried up Red Sea. God will get us through. As our normal activities dry up, fear not, and stand still to see His salvation.
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photo credit: Duncan Rawlinson – Duncan.co <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124400268@N01/25935484417″>Benches In The Fog</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>(license)</a>
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