Fear Itself – II Timothy 1:7

“Fear Itself”
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,
and of love, and of a sound mind.” Il Timothy 1:7

Fear can devastate and destroy. The U.S. president
encouraged the American people midst the Great Depression
by asserting that, “The only thing we have to fear is fear
itself!” Truly fear is a great enemy that does not discriminate.
The story is told of a man traveling in a stylish carriage,
who happened upon an old lady with a pack, walking the same
road to Constantinople. He slowed the carriage and offered
her a ride. She thanked him and they headed to the great city.
As their conversation grew, the man apologized for not asking
her name. To which she replied, “My name is Cholera.” The
carriage was halted and the man refused to take the deadly
woman to the city. She assured him she would get there
anyway and if he would take her, she would only kill a few, and
if he didn’t, she would kill thousands. The man reluctantly
agreed and took her to the city. Months later he returned to
Constantinople and heard of the thousands that had died. He
scavenged the streets until he found the old crone. Enraged,
he reminded her of their arrangement. She replied, “I only
killed the few I promised.” The man responded, “What about
the thousands that are dead?” With a crooked grin, she replied,
“Fear killed the rest!”
God gives us a spirit of power, greater than the spirit of
fear. Believers know that God cares and waits for them to cast
their cares on Him (see I Peter 5:7). – J.R. – JOHN RIKER, Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, Linton, IN

Prepared by Roger Fulk, from the “Baptist Bread”, April 24, 2023, by author JOHN RIKER, Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, Linton, IN. With permission from Tim Green, editor of Baptist Bread. The Baptist Bread