Focus: Fear Not! (Pt.2)

Text: Ruth 3:11

"And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman."

When you are faced with life's uncertainties and insecurities, Christ - your Boaz and nearest Kinsman - says to you, 'Fear not!' When you don't know where to go from here and you have no one to bail you out, Christ says to you, 'Fear not!'

When the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the night, he carried so much glory that Luke reports that the shepherds were "sore afraid." The words 'sore afraid' mean that on seeing the angel in his divine brightness and immaculate brilliance, the shepherds were frightened beyond measure. They experienced firsthand the paralysis of fear. Quickly, the angel said to them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people… For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Lk.2:10,11). In Lk.1:47, Mary calls God, "My Saviour." Right here, Mary has given birth to the Savior who is identified as Christ Jesus. What a cheering news! God the Savior is now Christ the Savior. The salvation of all humanity is finally here in the person of Jesus Christ. It was a news of great joy, not news of great fear.

God is saying to you now that there is no cause for alarm, and that your salvation has come. Christ was born to save you from your foolishness and from all your fears.

When you are faced with the humanly impossible situation, God says to you, 'Fear not!' The angel of the Lord spoke words that troubled Mary's heart and puzzled her mind, but then he said to her, "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God… The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God… For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Lk.1:30,35,37). What is impossible to man is possible to God. The word 'nothing' in verse 37 is rhēma in the Greek, and it means 'word as spoken.' The emphasis is on orality, not textuality. Not a word from God shall function without power, and that is absolutely an impossibility. 

God's word spoken or written carries power and it produces its intended effect. If God says it, then He should be trusted to do it. God does as He says.

Where God is concerned man has nothing to be afraid of. Where God is concerned, the impossible is not possible.

Let that fear go; your God is capable and reliable. If God's mystery brings misery into your life, God knows what to do to turn it around for good. Understand that the presence of Christ does not mean the absence of crisis. Fear not!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter