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Fear Not

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand."¹

"The great Scottish preacher John McNeill told how, during his childhood, he had to walk a long distance home every evening, and his route led through a forest with a large ravine. Reports said that wild animals and gangs of robbers were often seen in that area. Great fear would seize his heart as he made his way past the spooky looking trees. He recalled, 'One night it was especially dark, but I was aware that something or someone was moving slowly and quietly toward me. I was sure it was a robber. When a voice called out, its eerie tone struck my heart with fear. I thought I was finished. Then came a second call. This time I could hear the voice saying, 'John, is that you?' It was my father. He had known of my fear and had come out to meet me.'”²

Being a child of God—one of His sheep—doesn't deliver us from the storms of life, but our faith in Him gives us a sure and steadfast anchor—a safe and secure rock to hold on to knowing that God knows exactly where we are even in life's darkest and most scary places. As one of my poems puts it:

     Sometimes it seems that life
     makes little or no sense
     as we wander blind
     searching for a ray of light
     to lead us to the truth
     or to a God who isn't there.
     But if we will stand still and
     listen with our heart, we will
     hear a rustling in the leaves,
     feel the brush of angel's wings,
     and sense the presence of a loving
     Father playing hide-and-seek,
     waiting patiently—
     wanting us to find Him.³

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that You are always with me no matter what and that You will never leave me nor forsake me. In the quiet of my heart help me to know and hear Your voice assuring me of Your presence and that my life and times are in Your hands. Always. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. John 10:27-29 (NKJV).
2. Alan Carr, Sermon: "Fear Not."
3. Poem by Dick Innes, © Copyright 1996, beautifully produced ready to frame. See and order from www.actscom.com/store.

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