It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

No matter how often the experts say spiders are beneficial, the bottom line is some folks detest the little beasties, and will do anything to get rid of them, including burning down their houses.

Understand, burning down the house is usually not part of the original plan. Even so, house-burning is what happened when a Seattle man tried to eliminate a spider by using a lighter to turn his can of spray paint into a spider-roasting flamethrower.

This fellow is not unique. The news has told of a Kansas woman who set fire to her home when she ignited some towels in which a spider had taken refuge; then there was the Fresno, California, fellow who lost his garage when he went after a spider with his blowtorch; and the Chico, California, woman who set fire to some cobwebs, which eventually fired up her home.

Now if such examples of overkill sound rightly ridiculous to you, that's a good thing.

They are.

Still, I have met many folks who, motivated by fear, have done strange and sinful things. Fear of being friendless has caused many a young person to do acts that have compromised his or her conscience. Fear of being unloved has seen many a man and woman put their values, morals and principles on the backburner. Fear of being poor has brought about robberies and thefts, while fear of being considered a "loser," has motivated many a gossiping tongue.

Now the length of a Daily Devotion does not allow me to list every fear that can elevate your blood pressure and tie your stomach in knots. Let's just be honest and say, "We have fears."

That's understandable. This unpredictable, sinful world fosters fear in our hearts and minds.

Thankfully, we have a Lord who loves us enough to do all that was necessary to put our fears back into a proper perspective. In the Person of Jesus, God sent His Son to conquer our fears. Because of Jesus' substitution and sacrifice, our big three enemies -- sin, death and devil -- have lost their stranglehold on our souls.

As far as all the other personal, public and private fears we have, the Lord tells us not to worry. In passage after passage, the Lord reassures us when we're told,

* Psalm 56:11 - "In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

* Psalm 56:4 - "In God, whose Word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What shall flesh do to me?"

* Hebrews 13:6 - "So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'"

My friends, God's promises are sure. All who rest and rely on Him are saved, and they are SAFE.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that, because of Jesus, I do not have to be afraid. In His Name I give thanks. Amen.

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In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 48-50    1 Corinthians 11:1-16

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