365. Once For Each Day.

Dru, Cooper and I were riding down the road on Saturday and Dru tells me that he doesn't feel safe in his bedroom.  So I asked why and he said that he saw on a news report where there was a killer on the loose and police hadn't been able to find him yet.  Dru was worried that the killer would break in his window and kill him.  I reassured him that the police had most likely caught him since he saw the news on Wednesday.  I also reassured him that the news was talking about Charlotte and not Sawmills so the person wasn't anywhere near where we lived.  I also told him that if his mom and I felt like we were in an unsafe area then we would move to a safer place but that wasn't the case.  I also reassured him that our security system would keep him safe.  The final remark I made that I hoped would instill confidence in this fearful 8 year old was something I heard a Bible teacher share once.  In the Bible God tells us 365 times some variation of "Do not be afraid."  He may have said "Do not fear," "Do not be terrified" or "Fear not" but in the Bible God tells us 365 times not to be afraid.  As I put it to Dru, God tells us this 365 times so that is like Him telling us not to be afraid every day.  It's as if God is doing the same thing that I was doing with Dru, reassuring His child with words of comfort and reasons why they should not be fearful.  When I pulled out the higher power than dad and reassured him that God didn't want Him to be scared and God was watching over him, his fear seemed to melt away.

It's been said that fear is the absence of faith and there is plenty of truth in that statement.  Our fear, like Dru's, is out of a lack of faith in provision or protection.  We may be fearful about many things in this life.  We can easily be fearful about doctor's reports, losing our job, being alone, or the things our children are mixed up in.  What we must do is not allow these fears to control us but rely on our faith in the One who controls all things.  God didn't tell us "Do not be afraid" that many times just to be talking.  He shares it with us for a reason.  That reason is because He wants our faith in Him to rule over the fear that Satan tries to instill in us.  So let your faith rule over your fear and take comfort in the words of Joshua 1:9.  It says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (NKJV)

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