No Fear

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come…to enable us to serve Him without fear (Luke 1:68 & 74).
In the mid-1990s, a popular clothing brand name sprang up boldly claiming, “NO FEAR.” This was intended to be more than a clothing line. It was to be a way of life: “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space,” read one of the T-shirts.
God chose Moses to lead His people out from slavery in Egypt and to the promised land. But at the burning bush, God’s chosen leader was not wearing his “NO FEAR” garb. He was afraid—afraid of being ignored by God’s people (Exodus 4:1) and afraid that he didn’t possess the necessary speaking skills to serve the Lord’s high purpose. “I’ve never been eloquent,” Moses said of himself (Exodus 4:10). Moses also was afraid of conflict and trouble.
But God showed Moses exactly why even a sinful, fear-filled being could serve the Lord without fear! God promised Moses that the words he spoke would be God’s words (Exodus 7:2). God demonstrated to Moses not how powerful Moses was, but how God’s power could make him fearless. After seeing the ten plagues and the deliverance from Egypt that God accomplished, Moses could stand at the Red Sea and encourage the children of Israel, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today… The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14).
As we proceed into a new year as God’s people, no doubt we, like Moses, will have fears: “Will trouble and conflict disrupt our lives? Do we have what it takes to deal with afflictions? Will financially difficult times trouble our churches like it has so many jobs and businesses around us? Are our pastors and missionaries persuasive enough to be effective servants of God and His Word?”
As we face these spiritual fears, may we be directed, along with Moses, to God’s fearless service for us. God says through the prophet Isaiah, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). Again, God strengthens us in our work for Him by saying, “My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Also, the Christmas angel’s message encourages us as we face the challenges, troubles, and fears of 2012: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
We have just celebrated the truth that the Lord our God has come as the Savior of this sinful world. Through His Word and Sacraments, Jesus has established His church wherever they are rightly administered. He has brought you into His holy Christian Church through these same powerful means, even as He preserves it through the same. We may be doubt-stricken and fear-filled beings just as Moses once was. And, like him, we can also be assured by God’s fearless work of salvation on our behalf and strengthened by His Means of Grace, so that we may be enabled this year to “serve the Lord without fear.”
Kyle Madson is co-pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Frankenmuth, Michigan.