Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883 he robbed 29 different stagecoach crews. Amazingly, Bart did it all without firing a shot. Because a hood hid his face, no victim ever saw his face. He never took a hostage and was never trailed by a sheriff. Instead, Black Bart used fear to paralyze his victims. His sinister presence was enough to overwhelm the toughest stagecoach guard.
Joshua 8:1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.
Joshua and the people of Israel became overconfident after Jericho. They started believing that they achieved the victory of Jericho and started believing in themselves. Whereas it was God who gave them victory. So the people of Israel did not consult God when then went ahead to conquer the city of Ai. They felt they could handle it. But they were battered down and beaten badly. People of God lost the battle of Ai because they went by their strength. Suddenly the promise of God looked impossible and they were full of fear about their future and even the existence.
Perhaps fear is the daily challenge that we all face. With every task that we undertake, every move that we make, there is fear in our hearts. But the merciful God never leaves nor forsakes us. When the people of Israel had dealt with their sin according to God's provision, they were back in the presence of God. God said “Do not fear, do not be discouraged”. Even before the troops could march into the city, God had already given them the victory.
Now that's our God when we are with Him, we are already victorious. Bible records “Do not fear” almost 366 times, one for everyday of the year. God surely knows that we cannot operate fully in fear. So when He is with us there’s nothing to fear. Go ahead, you already have the victory.
Stanley Thomas Isac
Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com
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