Fear of the Unknown

42 Weeks

Anencephaly assigns people numbers. Sometimes the number is nine. They get nine months with their Anencephalic child in the womb, but their precious one is stillborn. One couple in Clearwater was given the number thirty-nine. They had thirty-nine beautiful minutes with their son Daniel before he passed away. Another couple we know was given the number eleven. They had eleven days with their son James.

Over the past five months, Megan and I have often wondered what our number would be. There are so many unknowns that are completely out of our control. We went to the doctor this morning for our 42 week appointment. Megan still is not dilated at all so we are continuing our waiting. If Joses does not come on his own before, we have another doctor's appointment on Thursday. We continue to wait and wonder. Since January, we have had far more questions than answers. We wonder when our son will be born, if Megan will have to be induced, if Megan will have to have a C-Section, if Joses will be born alive,  will he be blind and deaf, will he be able to cry, how much time we will have with him, will we be able to bring him home, and so many more. There are just so many things that we do not know and all of those things are beyond our control.

There is one command in the scriptures that is far more frequently given than any other command in the Bible. It also happens to be one of the most ignored commands as well as one of the hardest to obey. There are sixty-two times that God's people are specifically told either the phrase "do not be afraid" or "fear not". The command is given by Old Testament characters like Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, and many other prophets. Jesus gives the command in all four gospels and every New Testament Bible author (except James) mentions it. It is almost always the first phrase spoken by angels when they appear. The Bible overwhelmingly wants to show us that God's people should not be afraid of anyone or anything.

The Bible says we should never be afraid of:

People

Isaiah 51:12-13 "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? (13) And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor?

1Peter 3:12-14 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."  (13) And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? (14) But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."

Psalm 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Isaiah 54:4-5 "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. (5) For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.

The Future

Joshua 1:9 "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."

Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

Luke 12:29-32 "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. (30) "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  (31) "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. (32) "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

The Bible gives us clear alternatives to fear

Peace -- John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Love -- 1 John 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Safety -- Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.

Security -- Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (6) So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

Belief -- Mark 5:36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."

The future is unknown to everyone except God. Only He knows what my son's future looks like. To be honest, I have been terrified of many of the possible outcomes. However, knowing that God holds the future is comforting to us. He only wants and gives what is best for us in our training to become more like Jesus.

Unfortunately for us, Satan is also at work. It is so easy to be worried and afraid. One of Satan's greatest tools is giving us the allusion of control and then making us afraid when we are shown how little control we have. Fear is debilitating and is clearly against God's will for us. 

 2Timothy 1:7-8 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (8) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.