Do not be anxious about anything, 
but in every situation, by prayer and petition, 
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 
And the peace of God, 
which transcends all understanding, 
will guard your hearts and your minds 
in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:6-7

There’s plenty of fear going around these days. Fear of catching Covid-19. Fear of loved ones getting sick. Fear of the stock market and economy tanking. Fear of small businesses going bankrupt. I could go on.

When our lives seem out of control and are tumbling in directions we can’t stop… when there are situations that we feel are overwhelming, we get afraid. It’s a natural response. I know it well.

Enter God’s promises in the Bible. Some claim that there are 365 places in the Bible where the words or message are “fear not!” (I never counted but there are lots of them.) You can think of several immediately, I bet:

• God appearing to Abraham and promising descendants as numerous as the stars,
• the angel Gabriel’s address to Mary when she told her that she would bear a son—the Savior,
• the angel at the tomb on Easter telling the women that Jesus was not there.

The list of “fear nots!” is long. I’m glad. I need them all—not just one per day but one per minute. When I watch the news and see all this disruption I find it reassuring that the God who created us—and the risen Savior who died that I might live—speaks directly into my heart with this message.

Fear reminds me that I am human, fragile, limited. It is times like these that jerk me into the reality that life doesn’t revolve around Rolf, that there are HUGE forces at work in our world that I can’t control. I’m glad to know that there is an even greater Force at work. That’s a force called Love working to bring order out of chaos, harmony out of dissonance. That Force knows my name and through Baptism claimed me as his own 65 years ago. 

We know fear for sure. But we also know a God who promises a peace “which transcends all understanding.” He will get us through.

Pastor Rolf Olson

PRAYER (from Psalm 56)

Living God, when I am afraid, 
I will trust in you.
Because of you, my God, 
whose word I praise, 
I will not be afraid. 

Amen.