“Who has not experienced fear? I myself am a man who is afraid. All the wise men I know are afraid”. Those are the words of the noted scientist Harold Clayton Urey, an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934. Your child snuggles close, whispering “I’m afraid.” It may be fear of the dark, fear of something thought to be lurking in the closet. You reassure the little one, trying to soothe his or her fears. But deep inside, you too have felt fear’s chilling impact. There are irrational fears, but there is also healthy fear, causing one to do something about a problem. Fear of an epidemic may lead to immunization. Fear of a possible fire may lead to purchasing insurance. The wise man of the Bible, Solomon, wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” If we are not in a right relationship with Him, a healthy fear should lead to repentance and faith in Christ. As Amos of old warned, ”Prepare to meet your God.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell