By Melissa (Mayhew) Grandt
Bible Verses: “No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. Genesis 50:21 NLT
Do not be afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the One fighting for you. Deuteronomy 3:22 NLV
He will say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel. Today you are going into battle against those who hate you. Do not let your hearts become weak. Do not be afraid and shake in fear before them. Deuteronomy 20:3 NLV
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT
Theme: Fear
Devotion:
I have been dealing with a lot of fear in my personal life lately, so I knew that my devotional would be on the topic of FEAR. You know when you’re afraid of something, even something so mundane, and your chest has grown tight and daily tasks seem to be insurmountable? That’s where I am right now. And I have been trying to find scripture to ease my fear and anxiety. It helps for a time, and then it creeps back in.
I’m finding that it is like keeping a garden – which is another thing that I am not very good at! First, you get your ground ready by tilling it, maybe adding some fertilizer. Then, you add your seeds or seedlings. Water it, let the sun shine on it. But if you just let the plants go, what happens? Weeds creep in and choke out the young plants.
The same can be said for faith and I am a prime example of this. My “ground” was tilled and ready. I have attended church since I was small. I know those stories like the back of my hand. I’ve got my fertilizer: couple of bibles, and even *gasp* I’ve written in them! I know, right? I should be the tallest sunflower by now! OK, so seeds and seedlings: I have taught VBS and Sunday School, attended bible studies and small groups. I lived only 5 minutes from Willow Creek! Attended whenever I wanted to, in addition to my own church (they have a great coffee bar and bookshop). I can debate theology and discuss with the best of them. I’ve got this. Water and sun can rain down on me! I’m ready to grow!
But I forgot about those weeds. And for me, those weeds have been choking the life out of me.
I’ve lost family and friends to death at very young ages; two to cancer. None of it made sense and I couldn’t understand why God would allow that. Especially when other people were being “cured” all over the place. World crises, natural disasters, poverty, homelessness – I questioned His power. I have dealt with difficulties in my marriage and personal life, stretching my limits. And now when I was at my weakest, I add financial struggle, loss of emotional support, family strain and job loss.
I had turned from God. He had no interest in me, obviously. So, why would I care about Him? Those weeds – the fear, the worries – had taken over and were choking my soul.
It has been said that “Fear Not” is in the Bible 365 times. And while it sounds nice, it’s not exactly true. But with all the different translations, I don’t know if I could figure out how many times exactly “Fear Not” and all its variations do appear. However, I do know that it’s a lot.
While trying to deal with all of the stress and FEAR in my life right now, I’ve been seeking out these verses. And they are like balm on my soul. I feel those weeds being pulled, even if only for a brief moment. Reading and studying my Bible was the missing piece. The verses I’ve included today are speaking to me especially right now.
Slowly, slowly, I have come back to Him. I am tending my garden diligently. And slowly, the FEAR is going away (or maybe I have a better warrior by my side when it comes).
What about you? Have you pulled the weeds in your garden lately?
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