Listen to God’s command to us in ...

...Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)  "You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away:  Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” What would you guess would be one of the most common commands in the Scripture?

It is not for us to be loving even though that may go to the core of God’s desire for us. Those who write about our spiritual lives often point to pride as being the root of our human fallen-ness but God’s most common command does not tell us to avoid pride. Walking in integrity and keeping oneself pure sexually is so important to God but these are still not what God commands us the most about. The single command in Scripture that occurs more often than any other—God’s most repeated instruction is formulated really in two words “fear not.”

We must know based on God’s Word and in our hearts that God can be trusted even when we are afraid.   In Isaiah 43:1‑3 (NKJV) it says,  “But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.  For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” John Ortberg says, “I believe the reason God says ‘fear not’ so often is that fear will sink us faster than anything else. Fear disrupts faith and becomes the biggest obstacle to trusting and obeying God. What is fear and what is the cost of living in fear? Fear will cost us our self-esteem. Fear will cost us a loss of destiny.  Fear will cost us a sense of real intimacy. Fear will cost us our availability to God. Fear gets passed from generation to generation. Fear is the opposite of trusting in God. Trust in Him with all your heart!