Paul encountered a crisis in ministry. God's comfort came upon him and God told him that "don't be afraid... For I'm with you." Very often our circumstance makes us fearful and we might lose faith. Pressure from work, burdens on life, bondage of diseases, and weakness of our body can put tremendous pressure on us, causing us to be afraid of bravely moving forward for the Lord. Very often we come before God and believe in His mercy and grace, but we undeniably have fear deep inside us, because we don't know what God plans to do on us.
God will eventually lead us to perfection, but we don't seem to have any control over the process. Therefore, we are fearful and we'd rather stay put and not move forward. The Lord is more than happy to help us, for He has given us words and promises that are truly precious. He wants to tell us "don't be afraid, for I am with you." In other word, God will move forward with us and He will personally battle for us. Livingston is a missionary who entered Africa; one time he encountered great difficulty and had to decide whether to cross a river to minister to the people on the other side, because they were dangerous cannibals. That night he knelt down before the Lord, and the Lord's word reminded him: "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." His heart was immediately comforted, and he responded: "Lord, you are a gentleman, and a gentleman will keep his promise. I will go in peace because of your word."
God's grace is not only available for Paul and Livingston, but also for you and me. No matter what circumstance you are in, no matter who the giant inside you is, let's look upon him and depend on him, so that you will be set free from any fear!
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