Don’t Be Afraid

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31

Are you a born worrier? Did you learn fear in your family of origin, as I did, or did you perhaps acquire the skill along the way as life’s problems came in waves to crash your serenity? No matter what your income level or situation, your age or stage in life, worry can sneak in and squeeze the joy and strength out of your days. Maybe you were relatively calm, cool, and collected until you got a cancer diagnosis or your spouse lost a job when the bottom fell out of the economy, draining your kids’ college savings and your retirement account. Or things went smoothly until your college-age daughter was in a car wreck that caused her untold pain and months in a rehabilitation hospital.

The truth is, we all have panic buttons. And precisely because we humans are prone to worry, God addressed this emotion and its cousins fear and anxiety hundreds of times in his Word—including today’s passage from Matthew 10. After explaining that the Father’s eyes are on even the seemingly most inconsequential little birds, that he cares for us so much that he knows how many hairs are on our heads, Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid.” Why? Because to the glorious Lord in charge of heaven and earth, “you are more valuable . . . than a whole flock of sparrows,” and his care for you is eternally faithful.

When our son was serving in Iraq as a battalion surgeon under enemy fire and was working to save marines’ lives, I wasn’t able to see him for many months. But this promise reminded me that God saw my son and was present with him, even though my loved one was thousands of miles away, and I knew that I could trust my Father’s care. As you meditate on this passage today, I pray it will bring a freedom from worry to your soul and a renewal of God’s joy and peace.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your assurance that you didn’t intend for us to live in fear and worry, that you provided a way out by sending us eternal promises from your Word. Help me to trust in your gracious, loving care each day of my life.

It seems to be God’s plan to allow all sorts of things to happen that would naturally cause fear, but to forestall them by the assurance of his presence.

Amy Carmichael(1867–1951), Irish missionary to India