I will trust, and not be afraid
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”Isaiah 12:2
Reflection
Isaiah chapter 12 is a small song of thanksgiving, an outburst of praise after a section of warnings and judgment. And its center is this personal declaration: "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." It is not a theoretical statement, it is a sung decision. The one who writes it looks at what God has done and responds with a choice: to trust, and so not to be afraid.
Note the order: "I will trust, and not be afraid". Trust comes first, and the absence of fear is the consequence. We often expect fear to disappear so that we can then trust; the Bible reverses it: first trust, and fear loses its strength. Trusting is a decision that is made, often against feeling. You do not have to feel courage to say: "I will trust". The decision is spoken, and the feelings gradually adjust. And the reason comes right before: "God is my salvation", that is, the One who saves me is He, and not my own strength.
Notice the two images he uses: "my strength and my song". God is the source of strength for the journey and also the reason for singing. Whoever carries fear is usually without music: living in tension and silence. The song is a sign that trust has settled in. It is no accident that the Bible is full of songs, and often they are born in moments of pressure. Singing, or simply humming a melody of praise, has the power to reorganize the heart and to remind fear who the King is.
If a fear is prowling around you today, try this practice: declare aloud, several times, "I will trust, and not be afraid". If possible, sing or listen to a song of praise about trust. Let the music remind you of what your mind has forgotten. God has been your salvation until now, and He will not stop being it. The same God who delivered yesterday is the One who holds today. You can trust and sing, because your strength is the Lord.
Prayer
Lord, You are my salvation, my strength and my song. I choose to trust You and not be afraid. When fear tightens, remind me of what You have already done and fill my heart with praise. Teach me to sing in the midst of my struggles, because You are faithful. Amen.
Put it into practice
Declare aloud, several times a day: "I will trust, and not be afraid". Listen to or sing a song of praise about trust and let the music reorganize your heart before the fear that prowls around you.
To reflect on
Which fear has been speaking loudest in you, and what would change if you decided to trust first and sing afterward?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).