what not to fear

Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Isaiah 8:12-13

Let’s face it: right now people are afraid and everything feels disrupted. Our lives are being uprooted in crucial, personal areas. The word “unprecedented” is being used most frequently to describe our days. And this makes it easy to fear. There are conspiracies of fear... fear this virus will rage uncontrolled... fear that medical care will be tested to failure... fear that economies are collapsing beyond recovery... conspiracies range from “5G wireless created the Coronavirus” to political fears that authoritarianism will destroy human liberties permanently.

But God does not call us to give in to a culture of fear. In fact, the tendency to do so is ancient. Here is God calling the prophet Isaiah to preach a message against the fear that enveloped Israel and Judah around 700BC. The call is for God’s people to reject fearful paranoia about suffering, and to honor God, fear Him in worship, and see things from God’s sovereign point of view. They were a generation that was living in unprecedented times for them. And they were called to center on God and His purposes.

Lord,

Today I trust You. I will not give in to wild fear, acting as if this is all out of Your control. I will trust that You are doing Your work. I will honor You as holy, not let fear rule in my heart, love others, and wait for You to bring peace to me. Jesus, You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. You will care for me even though I have never known times like these.

Amen