“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, ‘Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.’”
Acts 18:9-10 (NLT)
God came to Paul in Corinth with a clear instruction: “Do not be afraid.” Paul had been rejected by the Jews again, but the Lord told him to keep speaking the good news and not hold back. This time, a mob was not coming. This time, he was not getting kicked out tomorrow. God had people in that city who belonged to Him. There was a harvest in Corinth, and Paul needed to keep preaching there because God was with him.
That is the strength God gives His people. Jeremiah was told to stand up and say what God put in his mouth. Kings, officials, priests, and people could fight against him, but they would not win because God made him like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. Jeremiah was not strong because he made himself strong. He was strong because God was with him.
Fear keeps us looking at ourselves. It makes us measure the size of the crowd, the title of the opponent, how loud they are, or the weakness we feel inside. But courage does not come from willpower. It comes from God’s power. When we recognize that the Good Shepherd is with us, we can walk through the valley and fear no evil because God’s rod and His staff comfort us.
Today, there is something God has put on each of our hearts. There is something we are supposed to speak, and there are people we are supposed to talk to. We cannot do it if our eyes stay on us. We can only take steps of faith by looking at God. So don’t look down at the wind and the waves. Look up. If God is with us, who can be against us? We serve El Shaddai, God Almighty. Nothing is too hard for Him. Don’t be afraid. Speak.