Fight Fear: Embrace the Opportunity

Step Through the Open Doorway

And Moses said, “See the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 1:21

A forty-year trip on a tour bus with a group of obstinate adults and cranky kids. Sound like a nightmare? Moses may have felt like he was trapped in an unending bad dream as he navigated two million uncompliant travelers through the desert.

When the group finally arrived on the east side of the Jordan River and could see the green plains and lush fields of Canaan in the distance, Moses must have been relieved. And sad. After all, the people would enter the land under Joshua’s leadership, not Moses’s. God was taking Moses to the real Promised Land—heaven.

On the plains of Moab, Moses delivered five sermons to the Israelites, recorded for us in the book of Deuteronomy. In them, he reviewed the nation’s history and gave a lot of warnings. But his messages are also full of God’s goodness, his promises, and his plans for Israel’s future.

Moses must have sensed the people’s excitement—and their fear. They had battles to fight, cities to conquer, enemies to rout. Logic suggested their fear was reasonable, but Moses repeatedly said, “Do not be afraid.” Why was he convinced their fear was unwarranted?

He knew God was on their side: “The Lord your God himself will fight for you” (Deuteronomy 3:22). “Remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt” (7:18). Therefore, “Be strong and courageous … for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (31:6, 8).

Through Moses, God gave the Israelites a choice: Live in fear or walk in faith. Provision, protection, and prosperity lie on the other side of the Jordan River. Cower before the unknown or embrace the God-given opportunity.

I think God gives me a similar challenge. Daily I choose whether to live in fear or walk in faith. So many blessings lie ahead on my faith journey. But if I balk at the unknown or doubt his ability to lead me, I miss out on all that he promises.

What lies ahead of you today? God may have opened the door to a new job, relationship, or ministry. Will you choose to live in fear or will you embrace the opportunity he offers?

Dig Deeper

Read Deuteronomy 4:5–9. What would be the key to Israel’s well being in the Promised Land? What is the key to our well-being?

Read Deuteronomy 7:17–23. When we think we aren’t strong enough to face something or someone, what does this passage advise? What does the phrase “little by little” in verse 22 suggest?

Read Deuteronomy 31:1–13 and Hebrews 13:1–7. What is similar about these passages? What is different? Why is the reminder of God’s continual presence so vital?

Denise K. Loock

This devotion is part of our “Do Not Be Afraid” series.