August 11, 2020
I Am Not Afraid
Arlene Pellicane
Today’s Truth
Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me (Psalm 50:14-15, NIV).
Friend to Friend
When I was in elementary school, I was afraid of a girl in my class. I was skinny. She was stocky. I was tall. She was taller. I was nerdy and wore glasses. She was an athlete. Get the picture?
To buy peace with her, I would scratch her arm in class. She would sit in front of me, push her arm back toward my desk, and I was supposed to scratch it on demand. I never wanted to get in trouble in class, so I was nervous that the teacher would not like what I was doing. But I was more nervous about my bully, so I always complied.
Giants that intimidate us come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. God knows we face giants that scare us; that’s why we can find the command “Fear not” in the Bible hundreds of times. Here are a few examples:
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6, NKJV)
“And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you’” (Joshua 10:8, NKJV).
“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32, NKJV).
When my daughter Noelle was about five, her tormentor, as you may relate to, was her older brother Ethan. One day, she wrote him a brave note that read: I am not ufred uv you Ethan. He took the note and with great fanfare, ripped it in two. She could have crumbled under the pressure but even then, Noelle stood her ground. She had declared, “I am not afraid of you, big brother!” and she meant it.
There are many forces that come against us, whether from within our families or maybe from the workplace, from media to unfaithful friends. During a pandemic, fear runs rampant. What if someone I love gets sick? What if I can’t return to my job? What if the schools close? Fear can keep us up at night and demoralize us.
Today’s truth reminds us to sacrifice thanks to God, to fulfill our vows (that’s about obedience) and to call on God in the day of trouble. Lean into God’s promise when you are afraid. He proclaims, “I will deliver you!”
Notice thanksgiving and following God’s commands proceed this deliverance from fear. When you thank God in the midst of your fear, and obey the Word of God, you open the door for God to bless your life. Faith overcomes fear. Faith grows as we believe in our hearts and say even out loud, “I put my confidence in God because He is bigger than my problems, bigger than my fears.”
Going back to my childhood bully in elementary school, you know the funny thing is, we became friends. Today my kids Ethan and Noelle are in high school, and Noelle is still unafraid when it comes to her brother.
The giants of yesterday don’t seem so big anymore. Let’s remember today that God specializes in putting giants in their place, if we will let Him.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, I call on You now to deliver me from trouble, from giants seen and unseen. I ask for Your protection over me and those in my family. Increase my faith and help me to obey Your commands. Thank you for being right by my side and for fighting my battles. You are the all-powerful and mighty God.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read this out loud from Joel 2:21 (NKJV): Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done marvelous things!
What are five marvelous things God has done for you this month?
More from the Girlfriends
Would you like to have more faith and less fear as a parent? Arlene’s book Parents Rising: 8 Strategies for Raising Kids Who Love God, Respect Authority, and Value What’s Right will provide the guidance you need to lead fearlessly at home.
Originally published Tuesday, 11 August 2020.
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