Fear Thou Not

The Shelter

Notice the structure of this verse: two commands, fear thou not and be not dismayed, each immediately followed by a reason grounded not in your own capacity but in God’s presence and character. Fear not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. The commands are not bare instructions to simply try harder at not being afraid.

This matters because fear and dismay are not usually removed by being told to stop feeling them. They are addressed here by being given a reason substantial enough to actually hold against them, his presence, his identity as your God, and three specific promised actions that follow: strengthen, help, uphold.

Notice these three verbs are active and ongoing, not a single past event to remember but a present, continuing engagement. I will strengthen thee describes ongoing supply for weakness. I will help thee describes active assistance, not distant sympathy. I will uphold thee describes actual, sustained support, keeping you from falling entirely.

Whatever fear or dismay grief has brought into your life today, this verse does not merely tell you to stop feeling it. It gives you the specific, present reasons this fear can actually be released: his presence, his ownership of you, and his active strengthening, helping, and upholding, happening now, not merely promised for later.