As you probably know, I am leading a Bible study on Gideon. We are only on lesson 2, but it is pretty obvious that God saw potential that Gideon had somehow overlooked.

When the angel of the Lord first appeared to Gideon, he was referred to as “mighty warrior.” If you know anything about Gideon, you know he hadn’t shown any signs of being a mighty warrior in his lifetime. He was threshing wheat in a wine press, he was hiding in the hill country and he and Israel were being oppressed by the Midianites. All of Israel had chosen to hide out instead of fight for what rightfully belonged to them.

In the midst of this conversation between the angel of the Lord and Gideon, these words were spoken by the angel. “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” (Judges 6:23) Now Gideon had put up a brave front until he realized who he was speaking with. Once he knew the Lord himself was in his presence, Gideon became fearful. But the angel reassured Gideon.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations when we are afraid. Fear can cripple. Fear can disable. Fear can stop us in our tracks. But let me share a few passages of Scripture to show you what we should not fear.

In Deuteronomy 20, God tells Israel that they should not fear going into battle. “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (Deuteronomy 20:3-4 – NIV)

You may not be going into battle as Israel did, but we all face our own battles. We learn from these verses that God is with us, before us, leading us to victory. There is no need to be fainthearted.

Here’s a good passage from Proverbs. “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.” (Proverbs 3:25-26 – NIV) The two assurances we have from this passage is that we have confidence in God and that He will keep our feet on a sure path. With these two promises we can boldly face our own “sudden disasters” without fear.

Jeremiah was fearful of sharing God’s message with Israel, but God reminded him, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:8 – NIV) As we share God’s message, there is no reason to be fearful. God is with us and through His Holy Spirit is able to help us as we share the message.

And one last thing I’ll share is that we shouldn’t fear what unbelievers fear. “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and resect.” (1 Peter 3:14-15 – NIV)

Maybe today you are facing some fearful situation. If so, I pray that you will first of all see the potential God sees within you. Call upon the “mighty warrior” within yourself to face these battles. Then ask that God will be with you through the fear. Let His Holy Spirit lead you through the fright. Let Jesus be the peace within your heart. And find your confidence in the Lord God Almighty.

There are battles to face, but there is no reason to be afraid. “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna