As we waited for her brother to finish swim practice, my girl sat quietly as she listened to Billy Graham’s distinct voice and powerful words through old videos. The announcement of his death had flooded national news feeds and radio stations earlier that day, and she wanted to know who this great man of God was.
After some time and clearly overwhelmed with emotion, she couldn’t remain silent any longer. With tears streaming down her face she carefully whispered…
“He was kind, but he wasn’t afraid.”
His kindness seemed a given. She had expected as much. But unafraid to speak the message of the gospel with such boldness and clarity? That was what had moved her to her core.
At nine-years-old, she has already tasted the fear of people. From her body shape to her bold witness on the playground, she knows the world doesn’t always paint the most welcoming canvas for truth. Oh girl, I’ve tasted it too.
The fear of people has convinced me to remain quiet when I should have spoken up.
It’s made me hesitate when I should have stepped out.
It’s persuaded me to say yes when I should have said no.
It’s propelled me to push through when I should have stayed still.
The fear of people becomes a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord will be set on high.
But whoever trusts in the Lord…
She may have tasted the fear of people in the past, but there is One who is greater. She knows she’s been given a gift that is too precious to keep hidden, and she’s determined that fear isn’t going to stand in her way any longer.
Are you lacking faith, living paralyzed by the fear of people?
- Remember, God can be trusted. “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?” – Hebrews 13:6
- Confess any misplaced fear. ““We must obey God rather than people.” – Acts 5:29
- Replace fear of man with a fear of God. “Fearing the Lord leads to life, and one who does so will live satisfied” – Proverbs 19:23
She woke with fresh courage the next morning and found strength from God’s Word before tucking her pink Bible in her backpack on her way out the door. She may not speak to the masses in stadiums like Mr. Graham, but there’s one who sits next to her on the school bus who’s never heard. And today, by the power of God and a whole lot of holy determination, it’s faith over fear.
What if today we fear God instead of people, and then we refuse to fear anything the world could possibly throw our way because we’re so sure that He is for us?
What if today, by the power of God and a whole lot of holy determination, we:
Speak up for truth.
Step out in faith.
Say no to sin.
Stay still and trust.
You’re safe in His care, friend. What is God asking you to do by faith today?
Oh Father, may it be said of us, “She was kind, but she wasn’t afraid…”
At His feet,
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I really loved this blog post! And it came at such a timely time too! I think that sometimes it is so hard to just step out in faith because of the fear that we have of the world – and it struck me when you said that even your nine year old had experienced her fair share of that! But I think it is so beautiful that He strengthens us when we just take that step of faith and be bold for Him! ☺️??
Michelle, I have to agree with you as this post is so timely and really spoke to me as well. I love what you said at the end about how beautiful it is that He strengthens us when we are bold for him through faith! Thank you for sharing with us on the blog today. God bless you
This reminded me of the song
“With Christ in my heart I can smile at the storm”
Christ is our hope of glory and with Him by our side we can take that leap of faith because His hot strengthens us and gives us that courage to tread upon serpents knowing He will rescue us
Oh my gosh, this post gave me the chills! So well written and so timely, too, as I am raising three daughters in Christ, one of whom is 9-years old! Praying they all will tuck this mantra deep within their hearts: “She is kind, but she is unafraid…”
Jonna,
As a Mother, this touched me deeply as well! May we all be bold enough in our faith to be unafraid to share Our Lord with others but in a gentle and kind way. Thank you for joining us on the blog today, and God Bless You!
Because you’re with me , I will not fear
Every day the Lord gives us the opportunity to show courage in the face of storms so that our children can learn from us. By His grace we can model to them kindness and not being afraid. As a mother this has been my prayer to give them an inheritance of faith, hope , love and Trust in the Lord
Because you’re with me , I will not fear
Every day the Lord gives us the opportunity to show courage in the face of storms so that our children can learn from us. By His grace we can model to them kindness and not being afraid. As a mother this has been my prayer to give them an inheritance of faith, hope , love and Trust in the Lord
Thank you Whitney for sharing. I too loved Billy Graham and still go back and listen to his sermons. He was and still is a great influence on me. This touched my heart.
I’ve missed your posts. So good to hear from you.
Thank you for sharing with us on the blog today Phyllis. This post was so touching to me to and yes I agree, Billy Graham is still such a great influence. God bless you sister.
I’m a day late and a buck short, but I’ll share my experience today. People can be put in our lives by the evil one to pull you down or there by God to life us up. I have experienced the wrath and people my entire life. I’ve always been sold short; I have always been just another dumb girl who didn’t know anything. Well, in the last year, I’ve met a woman who encourages me and actually sees my potential. She believes in me. Something I’m not used to at all! She told me I sell myself short, as do others. I have finally seen she’s right.
Whats is God asking me to do by faith today? To create a space-a sactuary-that I can go and study and learn more about him and His Word. Though this is from next months devotions (What month is it?! Lol), it really spoke to me. I’m contemplating a space I can use and create this area.