“This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.”
– Deuteronomy 2:25
So Deuteronomy 2:25 is God’s people on that verge, the edge of the Promised Land, and God is saying to them, “As you enter into this land, I am going to put the fear and dread of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven.” In other words, all these peoples who lie before you, they are going to hear about you and tremble and be in anguish because of you. Now keep in mind, that these are the same people. The nations back in Numbers chapter 13 and 14. When God had told them to go into this land, the people of God had said, “We can’t do it. These peoples are too big. They’re too strong. They’re too mighty. We can’t do it.” All except Caleb and Joshua, who said, “We can because God is with us.” And that’s the whole point.
We pray for missionaries who possess confidence, strength, and boldness would go to the nations.
This Verse Reminds Us That We Having Nothing to Fear When Following God
In the beginning of Deuteronomy chapter two, we read the account of how all those who did not trust in God perished in the wilderness. Except for Caleb and Joshua. And now they, along with God’s people, are about to enter that land. And God is saying, “Because I am with you, you have nothing to fear as you go into this land.” Now, there’s so much we can take away from this chapter, even this specific verse.
But I think about the New Testament and our relationship with God today. Romans chapter eight, verses 31 through 39, immediately comes to my mind. When God says to you and me, “Amidst whatever challenges we’re facing in front of us if God is for us, who can be against us?” In other words, if God is on your side, you have nothing to fear. Or maybe a better way to put it, if you are on God’s side, then you have nothing to fear.
Encouragement For Followers of Christ
And this is where I just want to encourage you today and pray for us today. That we would live in alignment with God’s word, with trust in God’s word, on God’s side. In that sense, and as we do that, we realize we truly have nothing to fear in this world, nothing. Because God is with us.
Deuteronomy 2:25 Reminds Us of Philippians 1
And if he is with us, we walk according to his word. And according to the leadership of his spirit and bringing glory to him in all that we do by the grace that he gives. Then we can have confidence in this world, no matter what challenges or obstacles we may come up against. We can have confidence even in the face of death. Because we know that if God is for us, death is life. “Death is gain,” to use Philippians chapter one language. So God, we pray based on this picture of your people in the Old Testament and your promise of provision on their behalf.
Asking God to Help Us to Not Fear the World
And we think about how that promise is ours today in Jesus, that you will lead and guide and direct and provide for everything we need as we trust in you, as we walk with you. So God, I pray specifically for every single one of us, every single person listening right now, and even myself, God, we pray that we would not fear anything but you, that we would not fear anyone, anything that might happen to us in this world for we know that you are with us.
And if you are with us, nothing can stand against us, that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. God, we pray that truth over men and women around the world who are going into nations with the Gospel and are experiencing all kinds of challenges and obstacles.
Asking God to Bless the Work of Those Who Spread the Gospel
God, we pray that you would bless their work, that you would give them confidence and strength that the nations might know who you are through their lives. Lord, we pray for that for people around us. Give us boldness today to share the Gospel. We pray knowing that you are with us; your spirit is in us for this purpose. Oh God, all glory be to your name for the confidence, the rock, the refuge, the strength that we have knowing that you are with us today. And as a result, we have nothing to fear. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
