Genesis 46:1-7 (3) And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
ScienceDaily reported the first comprehensive nationwide study of American fears conducted by Chapman University which included 1,000 participants from all walks of life. Their survey concentrated on four basic categories: personal fears, crime, natural disasters and fear factors. They discovered that the top five things Americans fear are 1) walking alone at night, 2) being the victim of identity theft, 3) safety on the internet, 4) being the victim of a mass shooting, and 5) public speaking. (www. sciencedaily. com/ releases/2014/10/141021125937. htm)
This list of fears surprisingly does not mention the fear of death. This may be because many people are even afraid to talk about it. Woody Allen quipped, “I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Others are afraid of the unknown. Charlie Brown probably captured this thought more astutely than many when he said, “I’ve developed a new philosophy. I only dread one day at a time.” But Franklin D Roosevelt bored to the root of the problem when he said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
Although many have attempted to deal with the problem in various ways, God gave us the answer that will calm all fear. He told us not to be concerned about the problems we face in life but to trust in Him. Hebrews 13:5 tells us that Jesus said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” That’s all we need to know.
by Dr. Gayle Woods