Do Not Fear

One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm, a mother was tucking her small boy into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, “Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?’ The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. “I can’t dear,” she said, “I have to sleep in bed with your daddy.” A long silence was broken at last by a shaky little voice saying, “Oh. That big baby!”

Like the boy, so often we find ourselves afraid of the unknown. What will the diagnosis be? What will happen to this relationship? Will I still have a job? Will my loved one be alright?

Do you know what the most frequent command is in the Bible? You would think it would be: love God or love your neighbor. According to Jesus, those are the greatest commandments, but, they are not the most frequent. The most frequent command is, “Fear not!” Far more than any other command, over and over we read the words, “Fear not.” Fear not.

Psalm 46 reminds us: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Let us pray: Loving God, we admit that when we face difficult, confusing, scary circumstances in life. It is often hard to trust you. Fear rises up in us, and our minds are drawn to the worst possible outcome. Reassure us this day with your presence. Help us to trust that in life and in death, we belong to you. We remember that you are Love, and so we claim the promise of 1John 4:18, that perfect love casts out fear. In the midst of whatever we face in life, cast out our fear and help us to trust, through Jesus Christ. Amen.