Fear Not 365, Part 1

“Fear not . . . You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” —Isaiah 43:1, 2, NKJV

Fear and sorrow gripped my heart in the summer when my husband lay in the hospital, stricken with COVID-19, pneumonia, and a urinary tract infection.

Each of these illnesses was life-threatening.

But it was the coronavirus, still in its early months, that was the greatest terror. I was afraid Earl might die in the hospital—without knowing where he was or what was happening around him, isolated, languishing for lack of adequate care without my ever seeing him.

Day by day, I confessed my fear to God, asking Him to take it away because it was not only painful but embarrassing for a woman of faith who had from childhood memorized many promises of His protection and care that include “fear not” or “do not be anxious.” Google cites authorities who claim there are more than 365 such promises in the Bible, enough for a different one each day of the year. During my period of distress, while reading the book of Matthew, I noticed two instances where Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, felt afraid (see Matthew 1:20; 2:22).

I recalled other faithful people who experienced fear.

I thought, If they truly trusted God, they should not have been afraid.

Why did David, anointed future king of Israel, run for his life from Saul? As he sought refuge in enemy territory, what must he have looked like, pretending to be insane, saliva running down his beard (1 Samuel 21:12–15)? Was not the Lord his Shepherd in the valley of the shadow of death? And Abraham, fearing for his life despite God’s promise to make him a great nation, lied to Pharaoh and Abimelech (Genesis 12 and 20).

And what about those terrified disciples on the tempestuous Sea of Galilee whose Master had distinctly told them to cross to the other side (Matthew 8:18–25)? I became more sympathetic to the naked fear that grips our hearts in the face of great danger.

And I was grateful God never scoffed at the fear in His servants.

He tried to build their faith. I could hear His loving voice, “Child, do not worry; your beloved husband is My beloved child, and he is in My care.” I thank God for seeing me through my period of flood and fire.

Lela Moore Gooding