Fear

A reflection

Do not be afraid is one of the most repeated phrases in Scripture, and it is almost always followed by a reason: because I am with you. The comfort offered is presence, not explanation. That matters when fear is real and the danger is not imaginary. God does not tell frightened people they are being silly; He draws near to them. Fear often shrinks the world down to the worst possibility. Scripture widens it again — not by promising nothing bad will happen, but by insisting you will not face it alone. Read these slowly, and let the repeated with you land.