Fear Not (Video) — Carter Conlon

Here I am again from my kitchen today, and I just want to just say thank you for tuning in to these little devotionals that I've been doing at home during the coronavirus situation. Entitled them, I'm Not Afraid, Why I'm Not Afraid.

Freedom from Fear in Uncertain Times

And I want to tell you today, it's so good to be able to go through times like this. It's not a laissez-faire attitude. It's something of God in my heart that has taken the fear out of my heart of the unknown, the fear of tomorrow, the fear of our present day circumstances, and what may or may not be the future.

You see, when you're in the hands of God, then you don't, you and I don't worry about the future because he promises to take us through and be God to us no matter what the circumstance or situation in our life may produce.

Isaiah's Promise of God's Presence in Trial

Listen to what he says through the prophet Isaiah, chapter 43, beginning at verse one. But now thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel, fear not for I have redeemed you.

I've called you by your name, you are mine. That's what God says about us. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. And when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.

God's Faithfulness Through Fire, Mold, and Flood

You know, in my life and Pastor Teresa's life, we had a season years ago where we came home from preaching and our house was burned to the ground. We lost everything in that fire. Yet in the midst of it all, we saw the faithfulness of God, his provision, the assurance he gave us.

He took us through that trial of fire. And later on in another place here in New Jersey, our house was infested with toxic mold to the point where I went through a lengthy illness of quite a few years of severe illness, actually concerning my breathing.

And we lost that house and we lost all of our possessions in it one more time and most everything that we owned. Yet God brought us through that. We moved a little later on to the other side of the Hudson River.

And of course, Hurricane Sandy came along and wiped out the whole first floor of the condominium that we were living in. So we've been there. I've been through the flood, I've been through the fire, I've been through the trial, I've been through the waters.

Trials That Do Not Destroy Confidence

And I can tell you one thing, God has been faithful to me. I'm sitting here today, I have no regret about the past. I have no fear of the future. I've watched, as a matter of fact, I'm actually thankful for those trials because it's given me the ability to encourage you today to tell you that God will be faithful to you.

If I'd never endured a trial, then where would my authority be to tell you that God's going to keep you, he's going to provide for you. He's going to protect you. It doesn't mean you won't go through these things.

It means they won't destroy you. They won't take away your confidence and your future in him is assured. So be at rest, be at rest, fear not. That's what the Bible tells us, so let's begin to do. Those two words can make a huge difference in your life today, fear not.

Love you so much, God be with you. See you again soon.