“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” Luke 12:32.

Have you, dear reader, ever noticed, prayerfully and believingly, how often the Bible speaks to us and exhorts us to be of good cheer?

In the text written above this little contribution, this is put in the negative form: fear not! Do you know why this is put in this negative manner to you and me? It is because basically we are full of fear; we are filled with the fear of death often, that last enemy which must still be conquered. However, we need not be. Death, too, has lost its sting! We have passed in Christ from death to life. That is the gospel of the resurrection.

The Gospel says: fear not!

This rebuke of all fear is rooted in the coming of the kingdom of God in Christ. That kingdom is: life, joy, and peace through the Holy Spirit. And the King of this kingdom says: fear not. Really it means: stop being afraid. Put away all your fear, and trust in your heavenly Father. That trust is then life, joy, and peace. It is a blessed peace that passes all understanding.

Young people, you do have your worries; you fret and ask anxious questions, don’t you? You think about the future: work, job, marriage, hard time, war. It is the age-old question of what we shall eat and what we shall drink, and wherewithal we shall be clothed. It is now almost fifty years ago that I and Mrs. Lubbers stood before a great unknown future. We desired to be married very much. It was 1930, the time of the “Great Depression”, the time of drought and dust storms, the time of bankruptcy and foreclosures. We stood together under the stars at night. And after thinking of all the sickening problems which would prevent our being joined in holy wedlock, we said: “But we have God!”

Yes, later we often have had to say: we have God, who is the health of our countenance, and our God!

Jesus talks to His disciples and to all the church about our heavenly Father. Without saying it with so many words, He is saying: you are the Father’s children of adoption, and are heirs of everlasting life! Yes, heirs of the kingdom of God, we are!

And at this point, Jesus brings in the comfort of the doctrine and truth of the Father’s “good-pleasure”. The teaching of election is very practical and comforting. It is the only rock-bottom assurance there is in the midst of the tremendous frettings of life. For here we are given to understand by Jesus, that if God planned to give to them the kingdom of God itself, shall he not give us all things which we need. Since He has decreed from all eternity, before the foundation of the world, to give you the kingdom in sovereign love and grace, he will give to you all that you need: food, clothing, and shelter. Yes, he gives us freely and never chides. He does not ever grow weary in caring for us.

Did you know that there are very foolish people in the world, who even call themselves Christians, who deny this word of Jesus concerning what the Father is eternally well-pleased to do? Do not allow them to rob you of this comforting truth concerning God’s good-pleasure, which is the very heart-beat of the church, the very heart-beat and strength of our life. And those who would rob us of this comfort are legions, yes, the very armies of Satan himself.

God is a “giving” God. His giving is commensurate to His eternal good-pleasure. What God willed to do, He surely performs, and not one can say: what doest Thou! The Lord’s arm will never be shortened so that He cannot reach us in our deepest woes. God’s power knows no limit as our heavenly Father. His desire to bless His children remains eternally firm and strong. It is higher than heaven and deeper than hell as we see this in the death and ascension of Jesus Christ.

No need there is for us to do as the farmer in Jesus’ parable who amazed all his wealth into large barns, and then said, “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” Then we shall be like the man that layeth up treasure for himself, but is not rich more and more toward God.

I think here of the young girl who died at the age of about eighteen years old. From the hour of her birth she had been a total invalid; she never walked a step, was carried by mother and father all her life. She had no feeling and sensation below her hips. She was virtually paralyzed. She never attended school with other children. She never romped and played. At eighteen years of age, she still was less than eighty pounds. But she could sing well; she desired only to sing of redemption and of the love of her heavenly Father. She had a firm trust in her heavenly Father. And when the time drew near that she should depart and be with the Lord, she summed up her entire life in a few sentences: I don’t have money, I don’t have friends, I don’t have the ability to walk (I must ever be carried), but I am rich in God!

And thus it is with all God’s children in their helplessness in this world.

Jesus speaks of the Father’s children under a figure of speech calling them “little flock”. Now, this figure of speech is very appropriate here. For they are an elect flock, chosen sheep gathered into one flock, by God who is the great Shepherd of Israel. This is a very endearing term indeed. It is the term in which Jesus views the church, all the children of the promise, as he is their good Shepherd. The well-known twenty-third Psalm is a beautiful confession from the lips of the sheep, the little flock. Christ gave His life for the sheep, the little flock in the world, shall he not give us all things to enjoy richly. He will cause our cup to run over, as He does.

Fear not! Stop fearing! Look to the great Shepherd of Israel who thrones between the cherubim in the most holy place of God, and who ever lives to pray for us! You are Father’s dear children, and are my little flock. Yes, I do have many, many sheep in history. They are really a numberless throng. And one day they shall ultimately be in heaven’s glory, under David the great Shepherd in Israel: one fold and one Shepherd! But meanwhile, at any given time, the church in the world, compared with the hordes of the nations and unbelievers, is very small and insignificant. You would certainly be swallowed up were it not for the Father’s good-pleasure. But His counsel shall stand, and He will perform all His good-pleasure. You are safe in the hand of your Father, who by His almighty power keeps you unto the salvation which is ready to be revealed in the last day.

Yes, fear not, little flock!

Do a little considering of the faithful works of your heavenly Father in the creature which is far less than you are. Consider for a moment the lily blooming in your backyard. Consider each blade of grass which you cut with your lawnmower. It is a marvel of God’s care that the lily blooms more beautifully than Solomon in all his glory. Yet, this flower soon fades away. But, have no fear; it has demonstrated the Father’s faithfulness to you, has it not? And then, think of all the birds as each sings his morning song, be it the cooing of the dove, or the song of the nightingale, as it sing’s its song of ascending wing. What a kind and wise care of our heavenly Father for each of His creatures. Consider it with believing eyes, behold the flowers of the field and hear the voice of each bird, yea, of the chirping cricket. It is a lesson to take to heart.

And, then, do not fear, but believe.

And, when you see that awesome future loom before you, know that your heavenly Father has this “future” all in His plan in the good-pleasure of His will to give to you the kingdom: joy, peace, and hope in the Holy Spirit.

Then we go forward step by step. His hand holds and enfolds ours. And He leads firmly beside the still waters of peace and contentment. And He leads safely, tenderly like a shepherd leads his flock. He gathers the lambs in His arms. And He gently leads those which are with young.

We must bathe in the pure love of God in Christ which banishes all fears.

Fear not, little flock. Only believe.