So far Moses has taught us to battle fear in our hearts by purposely calling to mind what God has done in the past and what He has promised for the future. Now He adds one final ingredient to his fear defeating concoction. "You shall not be in dread of them, (why not?) for the LORD your God is in your midst."

Do you remember the time when you thought daddy was invincible? He was the biggest person you knew. You were confident he could beat up any bad guy. Fear didn’t exist whenever daddy was holding your hand. That is Moses’ point. Don’t be afraid, God is here.

"So what?" interjects our Israelite pessimist. "Of course God is in our midst. He is everywhere. But how does that help? That means He is in the midst of the Canaanites too." Have you ever thought like that?

I think Moses would reply with something like this. "You don’t get it. When I say God is in our midst, I mean more than the truth of His omnipresence. I am not saying God is in our midst like the air is in our midst. I mean that God is with us in a special way. He is for us. God’s presence means God’s activity on our behalf."

Consider the following passage from Hebrews to see this idea more explicitly. Notice how the author connects God’s presence with God’s activity on our behalf.

This passage from Hebrews shows that we as Christians have the same promise of God’s presence. As you walk in trusting obedience to God, you can be assured that the LORD your God is in your midst too. You are not alone. God is with you and He is for you.

Spend a few minutes praying to God about your current fears. Ask Him to help you trust Him. Thank Him for His promise to never leave you nor forsake you.

In this final meditation on Moses' fear fighting stratedgy we have seen that God promises His presence. God is for you and is always with you.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

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