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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27)

My greatest fear is snakes.

There have been times I would recoil every time I saw one or heard about them. Many years ago I was visiting my family in Florida and my grandson and I went out for a walk.  As we walked we came across a small black snake.  When I saw it, I immediately started screaming, ‘Kill it JoJo, kill it!”

My voice seemed to get louder and louder as the fear overtook me.  My grandson, who was 10 years old at the time, looked at me and then at the snake.  He then reached down, picked the snake up and threw it in the bushes.  I was still a little hysterical and I said, “Why didn’t you kill it?” He said, “The Bible says thou shall not kill. Besides, it was just a baby snake, Grandma.”

 I told him that baby snakes grow up to be big snakes.  He just laughed and we continued walking. Just imagine, my little grandson had to tell me not to kill. Isaiah 11:6 “a little child shall lead them.”

A few summers back, I went to the zoo and stood in front of the snakes’ cage and did not run away.  I said to myself, “Mary, old girl, that snake is not thinking about you and here you are afraid when you should not be.  Did not Jesus say not to fear and here I am trying to be afraid, shame on you, old girl.”

See, you can trust God at His Word. Jesus will take the fear of snakes or whatever it is away. Some fears Jesus may remove promptly, but it took a little time with me.

Psalm 34:4  – I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fear.

Be blessed in Jesus’ name.

Mary Simmons is a columnist for The Kenbridge-Victoria Dispatch. She can be reached at aboxoflove37@gmail.com.