“And
the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear Not, neither be thou dismayed…” Joshua 8:1
Among
them that are born of women there was not one greater than John the Baptist (Mt
11:11), yet even he had doubts and fears (Mt 11:2-3). Where there is true
faith, yet there may be a mixture of unbelief. The remaining unbelief of good
men may sometimes, in an hour of temptation; call in question the most
important truths. In John the Baptist
case whether his inquiry was of some degree unbelief or just for strength and
confirmation while imprisoned by Herod, Jesus answered his request with facts (vss
4-6) instead of simple words of encouragement. The hope one often longs to grasp
in times of great need is only of true value if twined together by facts. Encouragement by itself, without facts, offers
little assurance of hope. Jesus’ encouragement to John the Baptist was a
challenge to his faith, to reflect on the fact that what had been promised has
been delivered.
“Fear Not” and let your
encouragement be in the Lord, it’s the only promise of hope one has.
HSAY…Todd
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