Fear Not, For I Am With You

I’ve heard others say that the enemy of progress is fear. And I completely agree. Nehemiah was tasked with rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. A daunting task that might sound impossible to some. He had to overcome opposition from outsiders and the internal turmoil of self-doubt, worry and denial. 

Nehemiah 6:9 stands out for me: “For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, ‘Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.’ Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”

The enemy seeks to fill you with so much fear, which can sometimes be crippling, that you remain frozen and unable to move or do anything. To counter fear in our lives we have to take a step in faith, even in the midst of great fear. Second Timothy 1:7 promises that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. We were not made to be fearful!

In December 2009, I received life-changing news. I had received a scholarship to complete my master’s degree at North Dakota State University! What a fantastic opportunity — what could go wrong?

Although that life-changing news brought about positive change for my life, it also meant leaving all my family and friends, traveling to a state that would get frigid cold, living in a culture I knew very little about roughly 8,200 miles away. I was afraid. But if I had let that fear stop me from getting on the plane and taking that step of faith, I would have missed so many blessings I now have.

F.E.A.R. can be used as an acronym for “false evidence appearing real.” 

In other words, this concept of fear introduces worry and anxiety that doesn’t need to exist! First Peter 5:8 reminds us to stay alert. Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. The devil understands that if he is able to distract you with fear enough to immobilize you, you are trapped. Remember that where God gives a vision, He also gives provision. Therefore, if God is for us, who can be against us?