There are moments when fear slips in like a shadow at dusk — uninvited, quiet, cold. A doctor’s tone turns cautious. A supervisor’s mood shifts. A neighbor makes an accusation. You try to stay calm, but your stomach tightens and your chest feels hollow. You ask yourself, What did I do wrong? Why is this happening? The answers don’t come. But one thing rises: panic.

What if that fear isn’t something to shrink from… but a stage set for boldness?

What if the real question isn’t “Will this get worse?” but “Is Jehovah still beside me — even here?”

The psalmist’s words steady us like a hand on the shoulder: “Jehovah is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6, NWT). That truth does not remove the threat. But it removes its power.

Peter and John had no formal education, no political backing, no titles or emblems to shield them. And yet, when threatened by powerful men, they spoke with conviction — not because they believed in their own strength, but because “they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13, NWT). His nearness changed everything. His teaching, his presence, his courage — it had seeped into them. So when they were challenged, they did not shrink. They shone.

Could we shine like that?

Could we stand in the place where accusation lands… and not fold? Could we speak with peace, even when others try to provoke fear? Could our calmness under fire whisper, I have been with Jesus?

The answer is yes — not because we are strong, but because Jehovah is still moving hearts and minds. Even now, he permits rulers and institutions to fulfill his purpose “until the words of God will have been accomplished” (Revelation 17:17, NWT). The outcome is already known. The wildness of politics, the noise of threats, the instability of institutions — all of it is allowed, timed, restrained. Jehovah is not absent. He is directing.

And if he is directing them… what will he do for you?

He is beside you. In the hearing room. In the waiting room. In the hallway outside your job interview. He sees when your hands shake. He knows when your voice falters. He does not ask you to be fearless — only faithful.

Let your fear be honest. But let your boldness be louder.

He was with Peter and John.

He is with you now.

And no man — no matter how loud, how cruel, or how powerful — can undo what Jehovah purposes.

 

References:

w22.06 14 ¶3

w11 7/1 14 ¶6

w18.12 9 ¶10

w23.09 14 ¶13

nwtsty study note on Acts 4:13

Revelation book chap. 35 pp. 253–254 ¶19