A Light for My Path

When God tells us not to be afraid, it’s not a rebuke or an admonition. It’s reassurance.

When I was a child and I had a nightmare, I would run to my parents’ bedroom, or they would come to mine and comfort me. They would pick me up or stroke my cheek and gently tell me not to be scared. When I attempted something new like climbing a tree, sitting on Santa’s lap, or jumping into the deep end of the pool, they would urge me on and promise they were right there to help me. Their comfort and encouragement continued as I grew up and spread my wings. When I went off to college, when I married and moved half a continent away, when I went through a devastating divorce . . . they always assured me their arms were open, and I didn’t have to be afraid.

The Bible is full of stories of God or angels appearing to people. These occurrences were frightening! Moses was minding his own business, tending a flock, when he saw a bush that was on fire but wasn’t burned up. He went over to investigate, and God spoke to him from the burning bush. That’s unnerving! God told Moses not to be scared. He was God Almighty. Jehovah. And He had a job for Moses to do. Lead His people (the entire nation of Israel) out of being slaves to the Pharoah of Egypt to an entirely new land. What’s scary about that?

God also appeared to Gideon. Once again with an assignment to rescue Israel. This time from the Midianites. Gideon doesn’t realize he is in the presence of God at first. But, when he realizes it, he is terrified. Looking at God face-to-face is punishable by death! But the Lord comforts him and reassures Gideon that he won’t die.

Angels also appeared to people in both the Old and New Testaments. We tend to think of angels as looking like humans, but wearing white robes, halos, and having lush white wings. Biblical descriptions of angels aren’t at all like that. Some have faces of animals like lions, oxen, or eagles. Some are depicted as wheels with eyes! That’s weird and scary!

Whatever they look like, almost every time an angel appears to a person in the Bible, its first words are “be not afraid.” Angel appearances are all over the nativity story. First an angel appears to the teenaged Mary telling her she is going to have a baby (as a virgin) who will be the son of God. Then the angel appears to her fiancé Joseph to tell him about the baby and that it’s okay; Mary hasn’t been unfaithful. Next the angel (probably the same one?) appears to a group of shepherds sitting in a pasture, minding their sheep and their own business, telling them to go into town and see a newborn baby in a stable. If that’s not odd enough, that one angel is suddenly joined by a whole choir of them singing about this baby.

Every single one of these people and many, many more in the Bible were scared. Frightened. Often in fear of their lives. They were challenged or led to do things they’d never dreamed of doing. Going up against authority. Risking their reputations or even their lives.

Every single one of them was told in one way or another, “don’t be afraid.”

Not because they were weaklings or cowards. Not because what they were asked to do wasn’t scary or dangerous. Not because fear is taboo. But because they weren’t going to be alone.

God – our Heavenly Father – was going to be right there with them. IS right there with them. And with us.

Even if we’re afraid.

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Laura