Gracie Malone - Unafraid: 365 Days Without Fear

One Sunday, a preacher began his sermon by asking, Do you know what is the most often repeated imperative in the Bible? He paused, then interrupted our thoughts by saying, Do not be afraid! Ive heard it is repeated more than 365 times! If so, that would be one for each day of the year. He smiled and added, I didnt count them. Most of us were surprised at the topic, and a ripple of contagious joy came from the congregation.

Throughout the week, I couldnt stop wondering if the preachers claim was really true. So one morning, I went to the search engine on my Bible study program. I searched for the phrase do not be afraid, then added several similar terms like fear not, do not fear, do not be anxious, do not be troubled, and do not despair. After searching seven different translations, the program collected 426 verses on fear. Even after eliminating duplicates, there were still enough passages to write a devotional for every day of the year. Now I believed the pastor!

If repetition of a matter has anything to do with importance, this imperative could be the most important in the Word of God. I decided to call the words an imperative rather than a command or admonition because of the tone used by the writers. The words are spoken by God, angels, disciples, or other believers in a compelling, encouraging way, like a parent speaking to a fearful child.

To the grief-stricken widow and a heartbroken wife, God said, Do not be afraid, my daughter. To the pregnant, unmarried, virgin Mary, the angel spoke tenderly: Fear not! At the birth of Jesus, he said to the shepherds, Do not be afraid I bring good tidings of great joy. To families in poverty, God spoke through Joseph, Do not be afraid, I will provide for your little ones. To the guilty and those in prison, Jesus said, Fear not, I am with you. To those moving or separated from family, the promise came: Fear not, I go before you. When facing death or living in loneliness, God said, Do not fear, I am with you always. When reproached, reviled, or misunderstood: Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you. To the poor and deprived: Do not fear, I am your treasure.

When dealing with His children who are afraid, even those feeling willful or defiant, Jesus promises, Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. So we may say with confidence, the Lord is my helper I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Into these and many, many more situations of life, the Word of God gives us the imperative not to fear and brings us light. The more I thought about how much our Father loves His children, the more my heart filled and spilled over with love right back to Him. So I started to write. Each devotional begins with one of the imperatives from the Bible and closes with a biblical solution. In some of the devotionals you may find a touch of humor, a descriptive story, quotes, questions, or a simple prayer. I am certain that when you read Unafraid: 365 Days Without Fear, you will be able to say with confidence, Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You (Psalm 56:3 NKJV ).

Blessed is the man who trusts in the L ORD ,

whose confidence is in Him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.