“FEAR NOT.”
BY CARRIE F. JUDD
Fear not, little flock, for it is
your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
The nearer we are
brought to our dear Lord by faith and purity of heart, the more perfectly we
are enabled to love and obey Him, and in proportion to the growth of our love,
our fears diminish, for “perfect love casteth out fear.” We all know how
natural it is for the unsanctified heart to be filled with all kinds of
distressing fear, and it is evident that these fears are the result of sin and
unbelief.
We find that fear was an
immediate consequence of the guild of our first parents, for when God sounds
the searching question, “Adam where art thou?” the answer is given, “I heard
Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid.” And thus it is ever when the sinful
heart of man first hears the voice of a Holy God, and perceives no hiding-place
secure enough to veil its iniquity from the “presence of the Lord,” it is
filled, like Adam’s convicted soul, with tormenting fear.
In view of God’s eternal
justice, which must of necessity utterly condemn sin, He could not say to
fallen man, “Fear not,” until in His infinite mercy He had provided for the
sinner an all-sufficient shelter from impending wrath. Only as we contemplate
this truth in all its solemn grandeur, are we capable of recognizing the
marvelous graciousness and comfort of our Lord’s words to Abraham, after
renewing to him and to his seed the promise of a Saviour: “Fear not, Abraham; I am thy shield and thy exceeding great
reward.”-(Gen. xv:1.)
Blessed by God! He had
provided the hiding-place which Omnipotence alone could provide, “a covert from
the tempest,” and the very Presence, which man in his lost state had sought to
flee, was to be the “shield and reward” of redeemed mankind.
How sweet to know that
God commands us to “fear not,” and in this very command of His redeeming love
we know that we have no reason to be afraid. All through the Bible, from God’s
covenant with Abraham, until we reach the “Revelation” of the “faithful
Witness,” are these restful strengthening words resounded again as a glad
inspiration to trembling, faint hearts.
We read how the Lord appeared unto Isaac with a
comforting assurance of His protection and favor, saying, “I am the God of
Abraham, thy father: fear not, for I am with thee and will bless thee.” Again
we hear this precious exhortation sounded in the ear of Joshua, when Jehovah
promises to subdue his enemies,-“Fear not, neither be thou dismayed…. I have
given unto thy hand the king of Ai, and his people and his city and his land.”
In the book of Isaiah, our blessed Lord, as if pitying the frailty of our
easily frightened hearts, gives us these same sweet words in “line upon line and
precept upon precept” as He proclaims the good tidings of His mercy and power.
And always as an all-sufficient reason for our being “very courageous,” he says
again and again, “for I am with thee.” “Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I
have called thee by name; thou art Mine.” “Fear thou not; for I am with thee;
be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen the; yea, I will help
thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” When
Daniel was cast down with mourning, he was strengthened by a heavenly message
containing these same words of comfort. “O, man greatly beloved, fear not:
peace be unto thee; be strong, yea, be strong.” The salutation of the angle
Gabriel to Zacharias, and again to Mary, when sent by the Most High to deliver
His messages of mercy, commenced with the restful command, “Fear not.” And
later, when “the glory of the Lord shone round about the shepherds, the joyful
news was thus proclaimed to their startled hears, “Fear not: for, behold I
bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” We hear
Christ bidding His disciples to seek “the kingdom of God,” and hear Him add in
these words of tenderest love, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s
good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” “It
is I; be not afraid,” is ever our Saviour’s language to the hears of His
children, and if our little barks are in the midst of a tempestuous sea we need
not fear, for He Who has walked on the stormy waters an say to the winds and
waves, “Be still.” At the sepulcher of our risen Lord the sorrowing women who
sought Him were cheered by the joyful “Fear not” of the angle, and Jesus,
Himself, when He met them said, “Be not afraid.” And then that we may have the
assurance that the heart of our ascended Redeemer is no less compassionate then
when He dwelt on earth, these same words are spoken to us from His father’s
right hand in Heaven, “Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that
liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore.”
