Have I not commanded you? “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1: 9

And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be
afraid.”

Matthew 17: 7

What is there to fear? Why has the subject of fearlessness been on the lips of God
throughout history? God knows that we humans are not so very strong and
courageous on our own. He has watched us shrink away from the brave act and the
bold statement far too many times to count. I am painfully aware that my own experience of boldly going where the Lord calls me
to go is not very different from Joshua’s; and from Peter, James, and
John’s. The Lord felt the need to tell all of us that we did not need to be
afraid when we are in His presence, and we do not have any reason to be afraid
when He is present with us, either.

Through God’s gracious love we can stand tall in this life. This is not because of
prideful arrogance, but it is due to Christ’s transformational work in our
hearts. As we have been dressed in the purity of Christ and given a place in
the throne room of God, our life in the here and now has been elevated to one
that is lived in the glory and the honor that is God’s. We simply need to
recognize our new reality, and we need to decide to live in it.

Jesus tells us to, “Arise”. He wants us to get up out of our self-imposed
misery of fear, and He will take us into the adventure and the glory of His
purpose. Even when there are fearsome giants or powerful Pharisees waiting to
attack us, we can face the day with the boldness of Christ and, we can claim
the victory over evil that He has already won. Christ will take us forward into
the promised land of a life in which every minute is lived in God’s purpose and
with His blessing.