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Do not be afraid
One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
When God speaks in the Bible, the most common words are variations of “Do not be afraid.” Again and again, we are encouraged to trust in God’s tremendous care for us. In the face of danger, we are reminded of the great victory of Jesus.
Saint Paul faced many hardships after his conversion. He was jailed, beaten and left for dead. But in the face of it all, he maintained his belief in the God who saves. And Saint Paul moved from seeing the Law as the vehicle of salvation, to seeing how it is that Jesus supersedes the Law. The Law points to condemnation, while Jesus saves.
After this revelation from God to Paul, it appears things will not work out so well for Paul, as he is brought before the civil authorities. But the judge decides this is not a matter for civil authorities. “If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud, I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews; but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles and your own law, see to it yourselves.“
While we may not face the same difficulty of Saint Paul, the reassurance of God for us not to be afraid is just as true for us. If you are having a tough day today, ask God to remind you not to be afraid.
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