God says to you, "Don’t be afraid; I am your shield, your very great reward." Believer, hold on to this divine promise with personal faith. Imagine you hear Jesus saying, "I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail." Picture Him walking on the stormy waters of your troubles, because He is there,

and He’s telling you, "Don’t be afraid; it’s me." Oh, how sweet are Christ’s words! May the Holy Spirit make you feel them as if they were spoken directly to you; forget everyone else for a moment—accept Jesus’ words as meant just for you, and say, "Jesus is whispering comfort to me; I can’t resist it; I will rest in His shadow with great delight."

Not every ship makes a quick journey; the design of the vessel, the winds, the waves, and the captain’s decisions all affect the time it takes. The Lord can, if He chooses, bring repentant sinners quickly into a state of peace, but sometimes He delays

for reasons that we may not understand now but will understand later. "Don’t be afraid; just believe."