Fear not, little flock, for it is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
– Luke 12:32
Oh, what a great verse. In this little verse, see these three pictures of God toward you. And this is Jesus speaking. He starts from the very beginning, says, “Fear not.” Maybe just pause for a moment and consider, what are you tempted to fear? How are you tempted to fear in any way? And Jesus is saying, “Don’t be afraid.” How can you not be afraid? And he uses these three images.
Luke 12:32 portrays Jesus as our Shepherd and our Father.
He says, “Fear not, little flock.” It’s the first picture Jesus gives us of God is as a Shepherd and we’re sheep. Don’t be afraid because there is a Shepherd, a Good Shepherd, a Great Shepherd, who loves you so much as his sheep that he promises to protect you, to provide for you, to feed you, to nourish you, to if you wander off, to go running after you and bring you back. Don’t be afraid because God is a Good Shepherd.
Then he says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure.” So not only is God a Good Shepherd for you as a sheep, but he’s a Good Father who takes pleasure in you. He loves you so much. I think about my six kids, how much I love them, how much pleasure I take in them, how much I delight over them, how much I enjoy being with them. And I’m an imperfect father. For God to be this for us as the Perfect father, he delights in you. He loves you. He cherishes you. The Lord wants to provide good for you. I want to provide good for my kids. God perfectly wants to provide good for his children, and not just wants to, has the power and the wisdom to do that. It is his good pleasure to provide for you.
Luke 12:32 reminds us God has made us heirs in his Kingdom.
So see God, one, as a Shepherd for you as a sheep. Two, see God as a Father for you as his child. We’re talking about God here as your Father, as your Shepherd. And then third, it’s his good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. He’s a King. He’s the King over all, and he has a Kingdom for you. The inheritance that you have in him is an eternal Kingdom. He wants to give you the Kingdom.
So don’t be afraid today, no matter what you’re facing and no matter what you’re tempted to fear. Whenever you’re tempted to be afraid, to be anxious, to be worried, just stop. In this moment, at every moment you’re tempted to fear, anxiety, worry, look to God. And remember, you’re a sheep and he is a good, great Shepherd. You’re a child and he is your Father who takes pleasure in you.
This verse encourages us to cast out all fear.
And look at God the King over all. And remember, he has a Kingdom for you. Oh Jesus, we praise you for this verse and we pray for your help to live in it today. Help us to fear not. God, I pray that in my life and every single person’s life listening to this right now, no matter what the world is throwing at us, that we would not be afraid, anxious, worried, that we would trust in you as our Shepherd and our Father and the King over all.
Our King who has a Kingdom for us. Oh Jesus, we praise you for making this relationship with God as our Father, our Shepherd, and our King possible for us. And we pray that you would help us to encourage other brothers and sisters in Christ today who are tempted to fear with these truths. God, don’t let this verse stop with us today. Help us to spread this verse today.
Prayer for the Turkmen People
And God help us to lead other people who have a reason to fear death, who are not in You. Help us to lead them to you, we pray, to know you in all these ways. And God, we pray, intercede specifically for the Turkmen people of Turkmenistan, over 5 million Muslim men, women, and children who don’t know your victory over fear in Jesus. God, we pray, please cause the gospel to spread to the Turkmen of Turkmenistan, that they might be reached for the good news of your love as the Shepherd who lays down your life for the sheep. As the Father who adopts us, adopt them, oh God, into your family, and as the King who has a Kingdom for them. Oh God, we pray for them as we pray for this verse over all of our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
