Advent Devotions: Monday, December 17, 2018

Isaiah 43:1-7                                                                                   Fear Not!

But now thus says the Lord,
   he who created you, O Jacob,
   he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
   the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
   Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight,
   and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
   nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
   I will bring your offspring from the east,
   and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
   and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
   and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.’

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“Do not fear.”  How many times do we read these words of God in the Bible?  It and similar passages were written over 300 times.  This prevalent sentence makes me stop and think about life without fear.  For me, FEAR IS PRESENT when FAITH ISN’T PRESENT.  As soon as I catch myself being fearful, if I can remember to place my faith in God in that situation, miraculously, fear immediately melts away and peace arrives, then an answer or solution is often revealed. 

God, through the prophet Isaiah, makes a strong case as to why we should not fear in verses 1-7:  You can count on me to help you when deep waters and raging fire threaten to destroy you. “I am the Lord your God, your Savior.”  “You are precious and honored in my sight.” “Do not be afraid...I am with you!”  “You are called by my name, whom I created, whom I formed and made.” 

God, our creator, calls us by His name, claiming us to be part of God’s family.  We are created and formed by God for His glory.  These are hefty promises and proclamations that we can lean into.  Every time we put our faith in God in fearful situations we are giving God glory.  We are redeemed by God who protects as as a beloved family member.

Let us pray.  Most divine, powerful and gracious God, Thank You: For loving us, for redeeming us, for showing us not to be afraid, but to live our lives abundantly and in your glory.

Lynn Byrnes is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster, NY.