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Fear Not

By September 3, 2011No Comments

Today in our worship service we shared testimonies.  Several people during the course of the meeting stood up and told of lessons they had learned because of challenges encountered during the week.

A sister told her experience of the milk man who had arrived at their home to discover a rattle snake sitting on the landing outside their door.  When he opened the gate, the rattle snake struck but the gate prevented him from being bitten by the snake.  The milk man found a shovel and killed the rattle snake.

Two brothers shared experiences with wasps that had been discovered while working in their yard.   One brother detailed how the wasps had attacked him as he disturbed their home, and the other brother detailed how he had attempted to kill the wasps that stung him, but it wasn’t until his family helped him locate the source (the hive) and together they destroyed it that the threat was eliminated.

The metaphors are so powerful that I feel impressed to share them with you.

  • Satan is outside our door waiting to strike.  Sometimes he is invited in through the media or outside destractions, but whether invited in or lying in wait, he is there none the less.
  • The doors and gates we build around ourselves and our families prevent him from striking and protect us.  Things like scripture reading, prayer, virtuous thoughts, uplifting music, etc. are the gates and doors that block Satan’s venomous bite.
  • Like the milk man, angels on this side of the veil and the other side are there to watch over, protect, and warn us.
  • People we invite into our lives (like the milk man) may be the means of helping us overcome the temptations of Satan.
  • Like the wasps who defended their home despite the size of the enemy, we need to be willing to attack the outside influences that threaten our home and family.
  • Fighting the symptoms of the problem is rarely effective, it is only when we discover the source of the problem that we can overcome and victory can be gained.
  • When our families work together there is a greater chance of victory than if we work alone.  This could be parents who involve their children, or children who turn to their parents for help.

Our testimony meeting today has caused me to think about the dangers lurking outside my door and what I can do to protect and defend my family.  Things like:

  • Personal prayer and scripture reading
  • Temple attendance
  • Refraining from speaking ill of my husband and family members
  • Reading good books
  • Listening to uplifting music or talks
  • Turning off television programs that don’t invite the Spirit
  • Spending time with others who lift and strengthen me and my testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ

My husband and I spent time discussing what we can do to strengthen our marriage, and our family.  Some suggestions included:

  • Couple prayer and scripture reading
  • Our children are grown and no longer living with us, but family prayer and scripture reading would be a way to strengthen families
  • Temple attendance
  • Weekly date night
  • Spending time working together in our home and yard
  • Spending time talking together about the important things in our family
  • Praising and complimenting each other
  • Spending time with other couples who also have a testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ
  • Being aware that the movies and video games that we watch and play bring a spirit with them into the home

As we stay close to the Lord and do our part in keeping Satan out of our heart and our home, we can take comfort in the story of the prophet Elisha and his servant who awoke one morning to discover that they were surrounded by the king of Aram and his army who wanted to destroy them.

2 Kings 6:15-17  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots.  And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master!  How can we do?  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.  And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open  his eyes, that he may see.  And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

We can take comfort in knowing that even when it feels as though we’re surrounded by the enemy, the Lord is mindful of us and his angels watch over us, and “they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”