One of my pastor friends was a Catholic priest in Latin America years ago. While traveling from village to village, he spent one night in an empty house. He woke up surrounded by armed soldiers who were threatening his life.
One of my missionary friends lived in a very violent African country. More than once, armed intruders entered her courtyard to scare her away from the mission God had called her to do.
My story is much less intense than the two I mentioned above. Once, a man who was drunk and using drugs wanted to see whether God was stronger than the devil. It was a very stressful experience, but later, we had the joy of leading him to the Lord.
None of my three examples compare to the danger Paul faced regularly. It is no wonder that God came to him and reassured him of His presence and protection.
“One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people'” (Acts 18:9-10).
If you look at Bible passages where God says, “Do not fear,” you will find that most of the time, there is something to fear.
Right after God told Paul not to be afraid, he was brought him before the authorities. Jewish people accused him of corrupting their religion.
“But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. They said, ‘This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law'” (Acts 18:12-13).
Fear and God’s Presence
Paul and my missionary friend in the African nation were both threatened for preaching Jesus Christ crucified, risen from the dead, and the giver of the Holy Spirit. The cultures and religions in those places resisted this message. They felt threatened by the claim that anyone could have that kind of authority over humanity.
The soldiers who threatened my Catholic priest friend’s life knew nothing about him personally. They only knew he was a Catholic priest. At that time and in that culture, the Catholic Church opposed the dictatorship in the country where he served.
The man who threatened me while under the influence of drugs and alcohol later had a terrible traffic accident. He and I reconciled and we helped him return to his home state by sending his belongings on a Greyhound bus.
A few months later, he called me. He said he had been healed, given his life back to the Lord, and was now active in the bus ministry at his church.
The missionary in Africa had the chance to pray for two leading members of the local religion as they lay on their deathbeds. Many people came to see them, but she was brought to the front of the line to represent Jesus Christ and His love, even though people of their religion had threatened her life.
God tells us not to be afraid in frightening situations because He is with us. Our courage during difficult times is more than simply getting through them. Often, as in the stories I have shared and countless others I do not know, God uses our continued faithfulness in hardship to reveal His nature and character.
What Are You Facing?
One thing you learn after being around church for a while is that there is a lot of trouble in the world. People face stressful situations and need to hear God’s message: “Do not be afraid.”
Sometimes the struggle is not an outside threat like Paul faced. It may be illness, conflict, or problems at work. No matter what you are facing, look at what Paul says about God’s reassuring care for you:
“What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:31-32).
Take time to meditate on these verses. The God who says, “Do not fear,” is the God who is for you. How much is God for you? He did not hold back His own Son, but gave Him up for you.
He will clearly work on your behalf. Maybe not in the way you think it should happen, but in the way that is best for you, in every way.
YouTube Discussion
Please join Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and me for our discussion of Acts 18:1-17 on YouTube.
