Daily Truth: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1
“What’s in a Name?” by Cathy Jo Johnson
Have you ever been afraid? The word “afraid” can be found 216 times in the NKJV of the Bible. God gives us accounts in the Bible where men, women, and children are afraid. God also shows us how He rescues, protects, and gives grace to people.
According to the “Harvard Mental Health Letter” of December 2004 “A child’s world is full of dangers, real and imaginary, that many adults forget they ever experienced… Children’s minds and emotions are constantly changing and developing, and they do not all develop at the same rate, so it is not always easy to distinguish normal fears from those that require special attention. Newborns typically fear falling and loud noises. Fear of strangers begins as early as six months and persists until the age of two or three. Preschool children usually fear being separated from their parents; they may also be afraid of large animals, dark places, masks, and supernatural creatures.”
As parents we need to take care in providing a safe environment for our children. As much as we would love to hold them and protect them their entire life we cannot and should not.
It is important for parents to have a strong prayer life. As the mother of three children born within 27 months people often said, “They must keep you on your toes?” Which I replied, “They keep me on my knees.” Understanding that some things were in my control yet all things were in God’s control which was a constant help to me.
We try to remain calm when afraid so our children will not be fearful. By having a time with the LORD each day (no matter how short or long depending on our season of life) helps us to maintain calmness amidst fear.
The most important thing to take away fear is trust. When children know that you are there to nourish, care, protect, and love them their fears are reduced and trust is built. Our jobs as parents is to then build upon that trust and teach them to trust God.
When life situations arise, point out how God cares and protects. Take pictures and frame those moments so your child can be reminded of God’s goodness. Pray for others and keep a journal of those prayer requests. Praise God for answered prayers and record in the journal so you can go back and remind your child of God’s working. Just as the Israelites made stone monuments in specific locations to mark God’s working we too need to make visual reminders of God’s working in our lives and those of our children’s.
Verses to teach your children about not being afraid and trusting God include:
- “The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
- “…The LORD is my helper; I will not fear…” Hebrews 13:6
- “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid…” Deuteronomy 31:6 a
- “…He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 b
Some Bible lessons that show fear from people yet teach trust in God:
- Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3 of the Bible
- Crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus 14 of the Bible
- Jesus Calms a Storm in Matthew 8:23-27
Learning the names of God helps to take away fear and build trust.
“What’s in a Name?” is a children’s book for ages 4-8 that teaches about some of the names of God. The name of God shown in the above illustration is the name “El Roi”. “El Roi” means the God who sees. God sees when we are afraid. He will take care of us. When we learn the Hebrew names of God we learn more about God. Each of His special names teaches us a characteristic about Himself. God loves us and can be trusted to take care of us in all situations. We do not need to be afraid.
Until the next “Truth” sharing moment,
Cathy Jo Johnson