“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 
—Joshua 1:9, NASB

Reflection 

We cannot experience God’s love, peace, and rest in our lives and continue to walk in fear. Fear will not produce love, peace, and rest, but rather anxiety, hate, and jealousy. The truth is that fear underlies most negative emotions we experience in our lives. 

Often when anger rises, fear is underneath it. An employer may get angry with an employee because, at the root, there is fear of losing money, prestige, or position. A parent may express anger toward a child because of fear that other parents may look down on them if their child is not measuring up in some way. In these cases, as in so many others, fear is the driving factor behind the behavior. To walk in fear and thus anger is to walk away from God, who is love. 

Which would we rather experience on a daily basis? The coldness and anger that fear produces, or the peaceful experience of God’s presence and love? We do not have to live in fear any longer, beloved. 

God commanded Joshua not to tremble at the hostile army surrounding him. Do not tremble, Joshua, or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you. This same message is for every one of us today, no matter what forces might be threatening us at this time. We may even see storm clouds gathering on the horizon, but we must resist being shaken because God is with us and for us. 

Like Joshua, we must resist all temptations to fear by finding courage and refuge in the Lord. We must wake up and fight fear with the weapons the Lord has given us: His Word, the name and blood of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. We must also remember that He is fighting the battle with us and for us. 

It is time that we become proactive, wielding the Word of God in our fight against fear. We must shake off passivity. It is time to fight, not to yield. It is time to be on the offensive, not the defensive. We must put on the whole armor of God, which will shield us from fear, standing our ground in Messiah. 

If we want to receive and enter our destiny as God’s children, we must learn to resist all fear in its varied forms. Indeed, we must declare war on it, not tolerating it even for a second. The enemy will attack us, but we must not give in, for greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. 

God’s word to us is the same: Do not be afraid, for I am with you wherever you go. Knowing that God loves us, that He is all-powerful and perfectly, actively involved in the details of our lives, is all we really need to know in order to be free from fear. He is the God who is always with us. Wherever we go, He is there. 

Application 

• When fear rises, resist it immediately with God’s Word, the name and blood of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

• Refuse to magnify the giants. Magnify God, stand your ground in Messiah, and believe that He is with you wherever you go. 

Prayer 

Father, continue to reveal Your Son to me, and do not let any fear stand in the way of following Him. Jesus, give me strength and courage to follow after You without allowing fear to keep me from You. Teach me to fight fear with Your Word, Your name, Your blood, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Help me shake off passivity and stand my ground in Messiah. Let Your Shalom and love fill me as I resist fear and cling to You. Amen. Yeshua, in You are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, so draw me deeper into Yourself. Holy Spirit, teach me to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking until I receive. Amen.