"Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." — Matthew 28:5-6”.
Reflection
After the most earth-shattering event in human history — the resurrection of Jesus Christ — the very first words spoken were not a theological lecture or a triumphant announcement of power. They were words of comfort: "Do not be afraid." Think about that. The angel could have said anything. But God's first priority, even in the moment of ultimate victory, was to address the fear in the hearts of two grieving women.
This tells us something profound about God's character. He sees your fear. He knows your name. He knows what keeps you up at night and what makes your hands tremble. And His first instinct is not to condemn you for being afraid, but to speak peace into that fear. The women came to the tomb expecting death, grief, and finality. Instead they found an empty tomb and a message of hope. God specializes in showing up in the places where we expect only despair.
Whatever tomb of fear you are standing before today — a medical diagnosis, a broken relationship, financial ruin — God meets you there with the same words: Do not be afraid. Prayer is the place where those words become real to us personally.
Reflection Question
What fear have you been carrying to the "tomb" repeatedly, expecting no change?
Action Step
Write down your greatest fear today and bring it specifically to God in prayer, naming it out loud.
Prayer
Lord, like those two women, I come to You carrying fear. Speak Your first words to my heart today. Remind me that You are already ahead of me, that the stone has been rolled away, and that I do not have to be afraid. Amen.
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