Do not be afraid !

Sunday August 1, 2021

Do not be afraid !

Daniel 6:10 - When Daniel knew that the decree was written, he withdrew to his house, where the windows of the upper chamber were open in the direction of Jerusalem ; and three times a day he knelt down, he prayed, and he praised his God, as he did before.

The king had promulgated a law which prohibited anyone from invoking God in prayer on pain of death. Daniel did not fear the king's order and even, in his integrity, he did not want to do things in secret since his windows were wide open when he prayed. What a contrast to the disciples who double-locked themselves for fear of the Jews (John 20.19).

Fear is a very crippling feeling that many times prevents us from doing what the Lord expects of us. It is rooted in human beings and appeared as soon as they defied the commandment of God (Genesis 3:10). We are all dependent on fear and the Lord knows it very well. The good news is that He intervened as much for the disciples as for Daniel. Even if we are fearful, it will not prevent the Lord from intervening in our lives, He has demonstrated this time and time again when we read the lives of God's servants in the Bible like Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah and others.

The Word shows us the antidote to fear : it is the love of God ! This love, which is perfect, casts out fear (1 John 4:18). The path to liberation passes through an ever deeper search for this love. The more it fills us, the more fear loses its power over us. The love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit still tells us the Word (Romans 5.5). If we seek intimacy with the Holy Spirit, He will pour out this love in us.

My beloved, if we are those who live in fear, let us not give in to guilt yet. God knows our hearts perfectly and He knows what we are made of. Let us indulge in His love and He will enable us to perform heroic feats, not by our strength but by His.

Be, in the name of Jesus Christ, mighty fortified and encouraged.

Source (Ezekiel 37 Ministries)