From Upper Room devotional
As a boy, I mastered the art of catching fish bait. First, I had to find a patch of tall grass. Then I walked systematically through the grass, with one foot sweeping forward in a slow scythe-like motion. Scared crickets would leap, at which point I would crouch, cup one hand, and pounce. Somewhere along the line, I lost my passion for catching crickets — and on a much larger scale, for mastering new things. From fear of failure or disapproval, I now stay safely in my comfort zone. In fact, as an adult, I live more like a cricket than a person, hiding and leaping in fear. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus says, “Fear not.” He appreciates faith-driven courage and boldness, such as that of the paralytic’s friends (in Luke, chapter five). In 2 Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy to rekindle the gift of God that was in him. Although Timothy was loyal and dependable, he apparently struggled with being timid, just as I do. Paul urged him to remember that God’s power was at work in him. In times when I feel small and scared, like a cricket, it’s comforting to know that God’s powerful Spirit is also in me, encouraging me, “Take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).