Last Wednesday at church, as I approached some friends to say hello, I realized they were in the midst of an intense conversation. I was going to be brief with my greetings and go on when one of the ladies explained to me that the other, her sister, is going to have a baby but there is a mass that is complicating the pregnancy. Looking in this young mother’s eyes, I could see her concern. After a few words of encouragement, I began to pray for her and this wonder of human life forming inside her body.

When I arrived at home after church, I checked my messages knowing full well that a dear friend from high school had left me a voice mail about the gender of their own miracle. His message, as I listened, sounded distraught, so I called back immediately. He explained that the ultrasound showed their little girl was underweight.

His fear was obvious to me, and my heart went out to him. I expressed to him that he should not fear because God has not given us a spirit of fear but of POWER, LOVE, and a SOUND MIND. (II Timothy 1:7)

Fear can be so gripping, even crippling. But we should not be gripped by fear. We should be gripped by faith! If God has not given us a spirit of fear, then it is not natural, and we should not accept it. We should not allow fear to terrorize us or cause us to be paralyzed. We are children of Faith!

God has given us power over such things – He said it in his Word. Jesus implores, even commands us not to fear. He said we will have trials in this world but not to fear, for He has overcome the world (John 16:33). He tells us again, fear not, for I am with you (Isaiah 41:10). The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1) Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me (Psalm 23:4).

First, we are walking through the valley, not building a house to live there and, second, it’s only a shadow of death. And nobody was ever hurt by a shadow! Fear not!