Harriet: Fear Not, Liberation God Is With You - Black Church (Isaiah 41:10)

In the dim light of a flickering campfire, deep in the woods of Maryland, Harriet Tubman knelt down, her heart racing, as she whispered a prayer for courage. Around her, the silence of the night was punctuated only by the distant howls of the wind and the ominous rustle of leaves. Each crackle of the fire echoed the fear that gripped her: the ever-present threat of slave catchers lurking just beyond the darkness, the treacherous swamps that lay in wait, and the very real possibility of death for her and those she sought to free.

Yet, in that moment of palpable fear, Harriet felt a weight lift from her shoulders—an assurance that transcended the terror surrounding her. She remembered the words of Isaiah: “Fear not, for I am with you.” This wasn’t just a promise; it was a lifeline, a reminder that the God who parted the Red Sea was with her on this perilous journey of liberation. As she rose, a supernatural strength surged within her, not from her own resolve, but a divine gift that ignited her spirit.

With each step she took toward freedom, Harriet was acutely aware of the dangers, but also of the sustaining presence of the God who upheld her. The fearlessness she displayed wasn’t the absence of fear; it was a fierce determination fueled by faith. Just as God had walked with Moses and the Israelites, Harriet knew that the Exodus God was her God—a God who draws near not only to deliver but to uphold us in our darkest hours. So, like Harriet Tubman, we are called to rise with courage, knowing that the same divine hand that led her through the night guides us today, whispering, “Fear not.”