We repeat important things to those we love over and over. In modern days we want to hear and see new and novel things, but it is those things that are important that we repeat often. Think about it. What do you find yourself repeating to the same person day in and day out?
Other than hello, “I love you” is the phrase that comes to my mind. I’m choosing to look past all the times I tell my kids to get in the car or to put their clothes on or to brush their teeth, or…well, you get it. So, I’m running with “I love you”.
Why do I repeat that phrase to my wife day in and day out? It’s because I love her and want her to know and remember that I love her.
Why do I repeat that phrase day in and day out to my kids? It’s because I love them and want them to know and remember that I love them.
There is a phrase that God repeats over and over in Scripture that needs to be heard in times like these. “Do not be afraid.” This phrase shows up more than 300 times, I think God means for us to remember it.
There are a lot of people afraid right now due to this global pandemic. And for good reason, there are many reasons to fear. Yet, God says to His people, “Do not be afraid” and this gives us the reason for courage in this day of trouble.
Consider What This Means
There are a few ways that this could be interpreted. If a person were to lean over and say to me, “do not be afraid”, it could be taken one of three ways. Either they are blowing me off and it’s not worth being scared over, they are giving me a bare command, or they are saying that they have the whole thing taken care of and there is nothing to fear. Let’s take the time to look at these three options because it is quite helpful.
Is God blowing you off as if your trouble is not worth troubling over? No, not at all. God does not think little of your trouble, nor does He think your trouble is little. He cares about your troubles a great deal. Why else would He care about the number of hairs on your head? (Matthew 10:30) It is because God cares greatly about even the small details of your life. So, this “do not be afraid” is not about thinking little of your trouble. It must be something else.
Does this mean that God is looking at us and saying “do not be afraid” as if the bare command makes us unafraid? That would be ludicrous, for how can a person just become unafraid. That would be like Pharaoh telling the Israelites to make more bricks with less straw when they were in bondage in Egypt. That’s not how any of this works. And, the context of this phrase tells another story altogether.
When God says in His Word, “do not be afraid”, He is saying that He has you. He has you. You are His and He will take care of you. Consider with me Luke 12:32,
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32 NASB)
What do you notice about this sentence? “Do not be afraid” is all about God’s love and care for His people. Consider also Isaiah 41:14,
“Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you,” declares the Lord, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 41:14 NASB)
Other than the colorful description of their sinfulness, what do you notice about this verse? Is it not the great love and care that God has for His people. Even Jesus’s command to not fear other people is part of a promise of God’s lovingkindness toward His children.
“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? [Yet] not one of them is forgotten before God. “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:4-7 NASB)
I am hoping something is abundantly clear to you at this point. “Do not be afraid” is the utterance of a loving and caring God who wants you to understand that He loves His people, cares for His people, will be with His people, and will take care of His people. “Do not be afraid” is not really about what you are feeling at this moment. It is God saying “don’t be afraid” I will take care of you. He is the King of the Universe, who even the wind and waves obey saying, “don’t be afraid”. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things looking at a virus and saying, “don’t be afraid.”
“Do Not Be Afraid” Transforms You
I am arguing that the phrase, “do not be afraid”, when rightly understood changes you. The phrase calls us away from thinking about the big bad thing in front of us to thinking about the One who is in control of all things and can protect us from the big bad thing. And it calls me to look outside of myself for the answer and the courage to move forward. Therefore, it calls me to faith in God who created all things, sustains all things, and made me His through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Do not be afraid” is a call to the Christian to look outside of Himself to His adopted Father who loves His children deeply, cares for them with abundant generosity, and is King over all things.
“Do not be afraid” is a phrase the Christian hears amid coronavirus that brings comfort. For, if even this illness should do its worst to me, I am part of God’s family and will be with Him for eternity.
Some Concluding Thoughts
Coronavirus has me worried. This worry is more for people that I love and care about than myself. I suppose that is common for people my age. And this is the reason I wrote this today. I want those who trust in Christ to feel the comfort that comes from God being with them and saying, “do not be afraid”. I want them to be encouraged in a day filled with so much fear. I want them to see that God repeats this phrase over and over so that they will know and remember that God is with them, loves them, cares for them, and is in control of what comes next.
So, wash your hands. Stay home if you can. Take every necessary precaution. And proceed hearing God say to you, “do not be afraid”.
R. Dwain Minor
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