Do Not Fear

One thing that I have learned through my life and ministry is that faith is necessary, but it is not always easy. Faith can be hard to define but essentially means to have confidence, trust, knowing truth. To have faith in something it is necessary to have faith in something or someone. As Christians we demonstrate our faith in eternal life with God in the fact that Christ’s atoning sacrifice is sufficient for redemption. Faith is necessary for salvation however in our fallen nature there are certain obstacles to fear. Over the next couple of weeks, we will examine each of these. Today we are going to be looking at the obstacle of fear, what it is and where it comes from as well as the hope found in God’s word to overcome it.

READ TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 1:29-33

DO NOT FEAR! (V29)

This text begins with a command, “Do not be in dread or afraid of them.” The Israelites were commanded not to fear the inhabitants of the land. This is what the previous generation did. God promised them that they would have the land and all its spoils all they had to do was go in and take it. They refused because they did not have faith to believe that God would be with them. They were afraid. They did not trust that God would truly be with them. It is impossible for God to lie yet we often live with the expectation that there is a possibility that God may not always be the person we think that He is. We often attribute human characteristics to God which is a bad thing to do because humans are sinful, and God is not. When God makes a promise, it is a guarantee that it will happen so we do not need to question God’s motives, He invites us to receive the gift that He has prepared for us. We do not need to fear anything in this world, not even other people because God will be with us. He will not abandon us and He will fight our battles for us just as HE did for the Children of Israel during their time in the wilderness. We do not fear because all we have to do is remember all of the times that God has been consistent and has provided for us when we need Him the most. This is the second truth that we see in our text today. We do not fear because we remember God’s past faithfulness.

DO NOT FEAR THROUGH REMEMBRANCE (V30-32)

In verses 30-31 Moses reminds this new generation of God’s perfect provision, deliverance and protection since the Exodus from Egypt as well the past 40 years that the previous generation remained in the wilderness. However, he also highlights were the previous generation made a fatal mistake in their faithlessness. “30 The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.”32Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God…”

Moses does not want History to repeat itself. He wants this new generation, led by Joshua, to demonstrate through faith that they trust that God is who He says He is and that He will do exactly what He said He would do. God had proven himself over and over to the previous generation as they were set free from captivity in Egypt, to the wandering in the wilderness, to water from a rock to mana from heaven and quail. There is no doubt it; God provided for the Israelites. Yet when he finally brings them to the destination that he had promised them centuries before, they refused His blessing. They did not trust that God was with them. They did not trust that God was who He says that HE is. They feared the unknown, they feared the people of the land, they decided to go their own way.

I know that there have been times in my life where I have experienced fear. It is during this time that fear leads to distrust and doubt. Sometimes life can be so unbearable that it makes it hard to see God in any of it. The truth is that He is there and He continues to give you everything that you need. Often it is looking back through an incident in hindsight to see all the times that God walked with you through the darkest times. It is in remembering those times that gives us the confidence to trust God’s will and plan for our life. This is what Moses was doing with this new generation. He is commanding them to be strong and do not fear. Do not be like the generation before who were faithless. Trust that the Lord will go before you. He will fight your battles and He will be with you always. This is the final truth that we see in this text. God is always with us.

GOD ALWAYS WITH US (V33)

In verse 33 moses reminds the Israelites that when they trust in God, He will show them the way to go. “…who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go.” This is why we never need to fear anything in this world, not people, not failure, not persecution, not even death. God is with us through our whole life, and He is with us in the eternal life to come. It is through faith in Jesus Christ that we are given the opportunity to live out our purpose in His kingdom. This is the hope of glory. The hope of heaven. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” As you trust the Lord to guide you, he will not steer you wrong because He loves you more than any other person has ever loved you on this planet. God does not want to harm you he wants to provide you with every good gift.

I want to encourage you here today to keep the faith. Do not let fear be an obstacle to your faith in the hope to come. Remember all the times that God has brought you through a difficult situation. It is through remembrance that we can see God’s faithfulness with equips us to endure anything that this world and the powers of darkness throws our way.