God's Glory Church

There are various times throughout the Bible when God tells someone not to be afraid. Each of these moments occurs when the listener has every reason to be very scared.

One such case involves Joshua, the leader of Israel after the death of Moses, who led the Israelites to the promised land (see Exodus 3). He had to lead over a million people to the place God had promised, and that meant going through difficult and frightening situations.

In the midst of all this, God commanded Joshua to do two things:

To adhere to the Word of God and to be strong and courageous, because the Lord was with him. (See: Joshua 1:7-9)

In Matthew 28, Jesus says something similar immediately after His resurrection. He was with His eleven disciples and said to them:

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 (translation by Turkoniak)

Jesus tells His disciples two main things:

To keep His word (“go and teach all nations”) and assures that He will be with them.

God is always the same. He was the same God who gave Joshua His word and promise of presence, and He is the same God who gives us His Word and assures us of His presence. We are known, loved, and cared for by a faithful, constant God—and He will never leave us.

Today, think about how you can teach others about Jesus and His words. How does His Word and His presence make you strong and courageous? Before this time ends, thank God for His promise to be with you always.