Article July 26, 1952 Issue

BE NOT DISMAYED

MARION D. MAC CANN

The ringing charge, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee" (Isa. 41:10), was followed with the direction, "Be not dismayed; for I am thy God." This pledge to them by their God of His help must have stirred the memory of these wavering children of Israel to recollect that the great I AM of Moses' time was still the God of His people, and that the great God of might and wisdom had countless times and in numerous ways proved His ever-presence and availability to rescue, guard, and preserve those who had been ready to be obedient.

Dismay is doubt. It distrusts good. It may lead to demoralization, for it is a concomitant of fear. That fear is mischievous and often involves one in trouble is indicated in Job's statement (3:25), "The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me." To have greatly feared, Job must have entertained fear and permitted it the right of way in his thought. If he had resisted fear, it could not have swayed him or conditioned his experience. Resisted temptation is powerless, nothing at all.

A temptation to fear is not our fear. Fear belongs to us only in belief; and it appears to belong to us only as we adopt it and let it motivate us. If anyone were tempted to be dishonest but refused to yield to such temptation, he would not expect punishment or an unpleasant consequence. Evil's villainy, however, would tempt us to be afraid and then, when we decline, torment us by saying that to be tempted to be afraid is the same as being afraid. If not on guard, we may then unwittingly accept the possibility of an untoward result. In this devious way error would urge acceptance of undeserved penalty and thus present still another reason for fear.

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"CONFIRMING THE WORD"
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