Day 10
I have been asked why all my verses I have selected do not include the words “fear not.” I had been told like many others that there are 365 “fear not” verses in the Bible -- one for every day. It turns out that is a Bible legend. Bible legends are like urban legends.
People have heard the story or saying so often they have come to accept that it is true without checking. When I did check, I found out that regardless of the version of the Bible you use, even if you use the Eastern Orthodox, Ethiopian, or Syrian versions which include additional books and count the books of the Apocryphal there are far less than reported.
I use the New International Standard Version unless I say otherwise although I often look at the verses I choose in multiple other versions. The NIV includes 42 "fear not" verses though the words fear and not are included in 67. You may be wondering why I continued with the project after that discovery. Well I also found courage is mentioned 21 times. The words without fear are included in six verses and so on and so on. I could throw a lot more numbers at you, but I am pretty sure you get the picture.
Sometimes it takes courage to take a look deeper than what we have been told to find what is really there. Real faith can stand in the face of a myth. I believe that with courage we can come to a deeper understanding of truth by not accepting everything we are told. I believe there are plenty of verses that support courageously studying the release of fear. And so our journey continues . . .
Verse for Today
2 Chronicles 19:13 [Jehoshaphat said to the Levite Judges of Ephraim] . . . Act with courage, and may the LORD be with those who do well.
Word for Today
Courageous
I will be centered in courage today when I go into silent contemplative meditation.
I have been asked why all my verses I have selected do not include the words “fear not.” I had been told like many others that there are 365 “fear not” verses in the Bible -- one for every day. It turns out that is a Bible legend. Bible legends are like urban legends.
People have heard the story or saying so often they have come to accept that it is true without checking. When I did check, I found out that regardless of the version of the Bible you use, even if you use the Eastern Orthodox, Ethiopian, or Syrian versions which include additional books and count the books of the Apocryphal there are far less than reported.
I use the New International Standard Version unless I say otherwise although I often look at the verses I choose in multiple other versions. The NIV includes 42 "fear not" verses though the words fear and not are included in 67. You may be wondering why I continued with the project after that discovery. Well I also found courage is mentioned 21 times. The words without fear are included in six verses and so on and so on. I could throw a lot more numbers at you, but I am pretty sure you get the picture.
Sometimes it takes courage to take a look deeper than what we have been told to find what is really there. Real faith can stand in the face of a myth. I believe that with courage we can come to a deeper understanding of truth by not accepting everything we are told. I believe there are plenty of verses that support courageously studying the release of fear. And so our journey continues . . .
Verse for Today
2 Chronicles 19:13 [Jehoshaphat said to the Levite Judges of Ephraim] . . . Act with courage, and may the LORD be with those who do well.
Word for Today
Courageous
I will be centered in courage today when I go into silent contemplative meditation.
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