MAY 22, 2012
Fear Not
Read: Isaiah 43:1-4
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
—Isaiah 43:1
My wife became seriously ill during her pregnancy with our second child.
As the doctors struggled to find the problem, she continued to grow
weaker—dangerously so.
Watching her suffer was a helpless and horrible feeling for me, and there
were days when it felt as if God were not hearing our prayers. One Sunday, while I was looking for comfort from scripture, my eyes landed on the first
verse in Isaiah 43.
“Fear not,” it begins, and ends with “you are Mine.” Instantly, the Holy Spirit made the words personal. The intimate way God addresses Israel reminded
me of His always-present attention to us too: “When you pass through the waters . . . through the rivers . . . through the fire” (v.2). Each phrase rose
up in crescendo, from the pages to my heart.
Our comfort in that hour came not from promises of healing or miracles, but
from knowing we were never alone. We had many other frightening times, including just after Ethan’s birth, when it looked as if both he and Cheryl
would be lost. But God had used His words to comfort us and prepare us
for those harder moments!
Let these words be a reminder to you that you are never alone.
At times our fears may loom so large,
We long for proof that God is near;
It’s then our Father says to us,
“Have faith, My child, and do not fear.” —D. De Haan
Never forget in the darkness, what you know to be true in the light.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2012
