Well then. It is easy to say ‘do not be afraid’. It is easy to say ‘Trust in the Lord, and lay all your burdens on Him’. And doing so can be like trying to lift yourself by your own shoelaces. Try as we might, we cannot. It just becomes another burden that we cannot lift. The weight crushes us, for despite the act of our will, our hearts did not listen, and fear floods us.

We are unable. But God knows this, too.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Jesus

We truly can do nothing, and in that weakness is His strength. There is nothing you are going through that he cannot hold. There is no vow, no promise you are struggling with that He cannot undergird. There is no fear, no anxiety, no troubles, that overwhelms Him. He is sufficient. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Nothing fazes Him. He has walked this earth, tasted our sorrows, encompassed them and lifted them all up as an offering. He is able. He does not require your efforts, your strength, your abilities. All He needs, is You. He knows you are afraid, and that no act of your will can address those deep fears. Always and ever, underneath are His everlasting arms.

‘Do not be afraid’ is not an act of the will. It is a surrender.

In what is to come, in where you are now, remember this.

Do not be afraid.