One big part of fearing the Lord is listening to Him when He tells you not to be afraid of something.

What has He told you not to be afraid of?  

Most of us could come up with a list of things! Or at the very least, we know there is one thing we need to trust Him with. 

Maybe He’s told us we don’t need to be afraid about money. “He says He’s watching out for me, and I don’t need to worry about my finances, even though I just lost my job.”

Maybe He wants us to go on an adventure with Him. “He says He is with me, and I don’t have to be afraid of moving away from my family.”  

Maybe He’s talked to us about marriage. “He says He is excited about my future marriage and that He will bring my spouse at the right time.”

Fearing the Lord—making Him the most important thing in your life—is where real wisdom comes from (Prov. 15:33).

Fear is just a choice.

Being afraid is always a possibility. That’s one of the “tricky” things about fear. It is more of a choice than many of us realize. At any given moment, we could be afraid, or we could trust the Lord. We could listen to our fears, or we could listen to the Lord and believe Him when He says, “Don’t be afraid of this thing. I’ve got you.”

If the Lord has told you not to be afraid, it is better to fear Him—to take Him seriously and believe Him—than it is to fear the thing you’re afraid of.

Here are two very good reasons not to be afraid this week. 

1. Because He loves you

The love of God is a rock in your life. It is steady, unchanging, and unwavering. It never falls short, and it never stops, and it can always be relied on. Don’t be afraid to build your “house” on this rock.

It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. (Luke 6:48 NLT)

2. Because all your fears are empty

Fear seems real, and that’s how it traps people. But the truth is that fear is empty. When fear speaks, all its words are false:  

See, they are all false!
    Their deeds amount to nothing;
    their images are but wind and confusion. (Isa. 41:29 NIV)

Only the words of God have real strength and are full of power:

“Does not my word burn like fire?”
    says the Lord.
“Is it not like a mighty hammer
    that smashes a rock to pieces? (Jer. 23:29 NLT)

When Father God tells you, “You have nothing to be afraid of,” you can take Him seriously and trust Him with all your heart.  

Where do you need to trust the Lord this week?

Think about what God has told you. Which fear has He addressed in your life? Where has He told you, “You don’t need to be afraid”?  

Beloved child of God, you can believe Him.

Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize! For more about His amazing, unending love, check out Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.