Fear Not, God Has Saved You
Tell those who have a fearful heart: Be strong. Do not be afraid. Look! Your God will come with vengeance. With God’s own retribution, he will come and save you. (Isaiah 35:4)
Fear: it’s a prevalent topic right now. Many people are afraid of Covid. They’re afraid that we will have a repeat 9/11. They are afraid that crime is on the rise. They are afraid that their rights and freedoms are being taken away. They're afraid that they might miss out on an opportunity to make life better for themselves. They are afraid of death, and they are afraid of failure. And these fears are normal.
But when the people of Judah and Israel were afraid, as the army of Assyria took Israel into captivity, God sent the prophet Isaiah with a message that still resonates today. “Be strong. Do not be afraid.” Even though things looked horrible for Israel, they had nothing to fear. God was on their side. He would come and save his people. He would bring his vengeance and his divine retribution on those who had taken his people captive.
And God has already done this. He sent Jesus, who took on the armies of Satan and won. Jesus triumphed over sin, death, and Satan. He has saved us from the enemies that had the power to destroy us for eternity. Because of that, we have nothing to fear. Sure, Covid could take us from this world, but only to be with our risen Savior forever. Yes, our rights and freedoms may disappear, but the freedom we have in Christ will never be taken from us. So do not fear because your God has come and he has saved you. Amen.
The song for today is “I Will Fear No More” by The Afters