"I am afraid..."

Facing serious surgery and rehearsing the anesthesiologist's words, "You could die", he simply said, "Pastor, I am afraid."

I remembered my very routine surgery of a year ago when I was dealing with a painful kidney stone (I wished I could die...for a minute), and the cursory warnings of the anesthesiologist then, "It isn't likely, but you could die." And I thought to myself (I didn't want to be unspiritual and mouth it aloud), "I am afraid."

Pastor Ward Willoughby, one of our staff pastors, pointed out in a staff devotional today that in the 56th Psalm the writer says two things about fear.

1. "When I am afriad, I will trust in you..." verse 3

2. "In God I trust; I will not be afraid." verse 11

It is comforting to know that when we are afraid we can trust in God. But it may be even more compelling to think about the determination to trust in God and thus dismantle fear's hold. Paul tells young Timothy that God has not given us a "spirit of fear" (KJV) but of "love and peace and a sound mind".

The writer of the book of Hebrews assures us that Jesus through His death destroyed "him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil", to "free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." Hebrews 2:14,15.

The anesthesiologist has the directed responsibility to say to every man who faces surgery under his purview, "You could die". And it is so--a neglible amount statistically die under anesthesia.

Yes, there is inevitably an inescapable moment of fear when we enter new territory, face the unseen, consider eternity. But if we have trusted in God, and believe that He has conquered death's hold, we have nothing to fear.

I prayed for my friend today that God would give him the "peace of God" that is beyond human comprehension and is a garrison against the enemy's determined attack to hold us in the grip of fear. (see Philippians 4:7). May his surgery go well.