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“For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 41:13-14)
Somehow, everyone of us is afraid of something. When faced with a deadline for instance, we are afraid. When we seat for an examination, we are scared. When travelling on the high way, we are scared. At almost every point in time, we are constantly nursing at least one fear or another.
In today’s first reading, we hear God saying to us through the Prophet Isaiah: “Fear not, I will help you.” This is a phrase that is worth repeating whenever we feel scared or afraid of something. Fear is natural to us; it is like an alarm signal to the human body warning it ahead of the possibility of danger. There is no way we can eliminate fear, rather, we can transform our fears into prayer signals instead. When you feel scared at any time, take it as a reminder to find a quiet corner and say a prayer to God. Remind Him that He promised to help, then visualize a positive outcome. Hold on as strongly as you can to this new outcome and watch God bring it to pass. Let your Faith counter your Fears.
Amongst all our fears, the highest is the fear of death. Indeed, the fear of death is our greatest weakness. When threatened with the possibility of dying, we let down our guard, we begin to make compromises, we become something else. This was not the case with John the Baptist. He knew that preaching the truth could cost him his life, he knew that Herod would not be happy hearing him talking about his illegal marriage but He trusted completely in God’s help. In today’s Gospel passage, we hear Jesus praising John the Baptist as the greatest of all humans born of a woman. Jesus praised John for his courage in speaking the truth without compromise. Dear friends, we must never allow the fear of death prevent us from making God a priority in our lives.
“Fear Not, I will help you.” This assuring statement of God is not limited only to this present life. God continues to help us even away from this world. Afterall, there is nothing worth comparing with the bliss and glory of life with God in heaven. As much as we want to live longer, let us remember that those who die in the peace of God are in a far better situation that those still alive. So, let not the fear of death for instance push you to telling lies, stealing, immorality and so on. Be calm, God is always there to help you.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, deepen my trust in you. Amen. Bible Study: Isaiah 41:13-20, Psalm 145:1-13 and Matthew 11:11-15).
Fr. Abu