You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’ “And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, ‘O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?’ (Deuteronomy 3:22-24 ESV)
Fear Not… Then Praise
Once while traveling, we entered a tornado warning zone. We could see the scary clouds, and the wind was picking up, and the radio blared, “FIND SHELTER.” We pulled off the road at a rest area, and joined an eclectic mix of elderly, young, and everything in between.
I recall a mom comforting her frightened youngster with words of hope and peace. But the daughter did not respond well. Instead, she criticized her mom’s statements. I do not remember the exact words, but the girl said things like:
“You are not a weather lady… you are just saying nice things!”
“You also said the bee-sting wouldn’t hurt!”
“But the clouds are BIG… and DARK!”
In a way, the mom said, “fear not.” And the girl responded with more fear.
God tells Moses not to be afraid, and Moses responds with praise.
In fact, Moses pleads with God to show Moses MORE amazing things… MORE fear-trouncing things… MORE displays of power, and wonder, and might.
We might be in the same situation. God has told us, “fear not.” And now we can choose to complain or to praise. We can choose to worry or to praise. We can choose to argue or to praise. We can choose to be cynical or to praise. We can choose to ignore, or to praise.
Moses is a good example to follow.
He more accurately understands the truth.
Fear not, then praise.