“DO NOT BE AFRAID”

by Kevin Rutherford

When Jesus was walking on the sea His disciples thought He must be a ghost and they “cried out (Mark 6:49).” Jesus immediately responded by saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I do not be afraid (Mark 6:50).” While we are not in the position of seeing Christ walking on the water and thinking Him to be a ghost, there are certainly times in life when fear might become an issue. During such times we need to pray to God and rely upon Jesus Christ to help. We should attempt to “be of good cheer,” rather than paralyzed by fear.

We can fight against fear and doubt by casting our cares and burdens upon God in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). When we do this we can experience the peace that passes all understanding. We can pray to God and trust that He will see us through. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).” Trust in the Lord and do not be afraid.

We can fight against fear and doubt by reminding ourselves of the promises made by God. God has promised us that “. . .all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).” As long as we are sewing God this promise applies to us and we can have the confidence that comes from knowing that with God on our side we can overcome any difficulty (Romans 8:31). Be of good cheer and do not be afraid (Mark 6:50)!