“Fear not, I am with thee…” – Isaiah 41:10

Fear prompts inertia. Not knowing what will happen in the future is enough to take any otherwise strong human being and cause a complete emotional breakdown. Fear causes immobility. We think that if we remain still, it is impossible for our fears to turn into reality.

The reason that God is telling the Israelites to “Fear not” here is because what is about to happen to them is absolutely terrifying. Their city will be burned to the ground, their homes will be destroyed, their children and able-bodied will be carried away into captivity for 70 years after a 4-month walk through the desert to arrive at their destination. But in the midst of all this, God’s desire is to remind them that He is their God, He is with them, and He is in control. He tells them that they are upheld by His righteous right hand and they are reminded that He is also good. Verse 20 of Isaiah 41 tells us that the reason behind all of these happenings is so that the people will have no doubt that God is God and He is the one acting in all of the circumstances.

It’s not in inertia that the work of God is most clearly seen. Had Peter just sat in the boat, Jesus never would have pulled him out of the water and he never would have walked on it in the first place. Don’t let your fear keep you frozen. Keep pressing on and moving forward in faith. That’s where victories are won. That’s where mountains are moved. That’s where foes are conquered. That same God of the Israelites is holding you too. What more trust or assurance could you possibly need?