"...say to those with fearful hearts,
'Be strong, do not fear:
your God will come...
He will come to save you."
~ Isaiah 35:4
Fear seems to be everywhere these days, lurking in pesticides, global warming, and COVID-19. For me, at least, the past few months have been saturated with fear. The people who lived during the time this verse was written were well acquainted with fear, too. Drought, disease, and fierce invaders were unfortunately a very real part of life 3,000 years ago. God knows that fear has tormented His people for thousands of years, and He addresses it specifically with these words, "Be strong, do not fear..."
Even though God is well aware of our fearful hearts, I love that He doesn't berate us for our lack of faith; instead He tells us to "Be strong."
But why should we "be strong"?
Because it's stupid to fear?
Because "I've got this"?
Because the potential for greatness is inside me?
No! We should be strong because of this unbelievable truth--the God of the universe "will come to save you." On my own, I will never be big enough or brave enough or smart enough to conquer whatever I am fearing, but I don't have to be because He will come to save me! He might not answer according to my timeline, as I learned all too well during Dad's hospitalization, but He will come.
It reminds my of my boys. When they were babies they would wake up in the middle of the night and cry because they were hungry. They cried as though their little voice had to reach half way across the world, when I was right down the hall. They didn't know where I was because it was dark and they felt scared and alone. But they weren't alone and I came, maybe not in their timing (which, for every baby is RIGHT NOW!), but I came and I fed them and rocked them and let them know they had nothing to fear. I think it's the same with our Heavenly Father. We may not be able to see Him, He may feel half-way around the world, but in truth, He is always here, watching us and waiting for just the right moment to come and save us.
Of course, God's ultimate salvation came through the cross, when Jesus took on Himself our sins and three days later conquered the one thing which we fear most--death itself. Because in the end, isn't death what we really dread? The death of our loved ones... Our own death... But Jesus has come and He has saved us from the finality of death. Yes, we will die physically, but through belief in Jesus, we will live forever in a land without fear. In Revelation 1:18 Jesus says, "I am the Living One. I was dead. But now look! I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys to Death..."
So as we face a new month, and for many, a new school year, let us be strong and not fear because of this unbelievable truth: "God will come...He will come to save you."
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