“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore go and make disciples of all nations… and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
We are commanded not to fear (or worry) but instead to TRUST in the LORD with all of our hearts. Faith is the antidote to fear just as fear is the enemy of faith. We know that fear is a liar. We see the story of Israel and how over and over again their fear led them into one catastrophe after another and kept them from wonderful blessing. And yet we allow the same fear to cripple and sidetrack us.
Why? Because fear is still our enemy. Instead of trusting God we TEST God. To test God is to demand that He do something in our way and our time. Israel did this repeatedly with water, food and warfare. How do we put the LORD our God to the test? What do we demand from Him (to prove He is good and loving and really God, etc.) instead of thanking Him for what He has given us and trusting Him for what remains of His plans?
This article provides some helpful insight into this passage:
The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. Numbers 14:20-23
The article notes 10 incidents from Exodus 14 through Numbers 14 in which Israel questioned God’s love for them and the goodness of His plans. The “ten times” could be a more figurative number. But it’s interesting that there are at least ten situations that clearly demonstrate Israel’s fear overcoming their faith.
May the same not be said of us! Instead, may we hold on to the faith of Steven Curtis Chapman in this epic anthem: