They That Be With Us

Freedom! Thomas Paine, in 1776 said: “…it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.” Freedom is celestial! Next to life, it is one of those unalienable rights given to us by God, that supersedes all the mundane things of life. It is the power “to choose.” The Declaration of Independence states:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Yet, what is it that can cause us to choose to willingly give up this “celestial article of freedom?” Certainly, there are the entrapments of vices, that by so choosing we voluntarily give up our freedom. Yet, those are, “once removed” if you will. We choose the vice first and then there is the resulting loss of freedom. We most often don’t even realize that the typical sins will entrap us, and thus deprive us of our freedom, until we are already ensnared. There is another, more pernicious instance, where we stop in our tracks, open our arms and let freedom fall from our grasp. It is that which I would like to address today because it is being used daily to thwart the advances of freedom.

In March of 1933, at the inaugural address of Franklin D. Roosevelt, he stated that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself, --nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” We were 3 years into the great depression. There were – following WW I -- new stirrings in Europe of conflict and unrest. Uncertainty abounded.

Uncertainty abounds today. We have many things that can cause us to fear, that can paralyze us, cause us to retreat or even fight against that which is true. What is it that is so central about fear? Is it not the very nature and purpose of fear to cause us not to act; in essence to take away our freedom and agency to act or to even act wrongfully? If we can overcome fear, then, we indeed have the hope of overcoming everything else. If we give in to fear, then we have not the will to move forward and overcome anything.

I heard someone say recently that the words “fear not” or “be not afraid” are some of the most used in the Bible. I have not counted, but I do know that they are some of the most inspiring. When Christ was born on the earth the first thing the angel said was: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people ” (Luke 2:10). God does not want us to be afraid. But who then does?

I would submit to you that those that “loveth and maketh a lie,” deceive, or “spin” the truth, do so to cause us to fear. They may want us to also believe a fearful thing exists, which does not. In essence, those that lie want us to believe the lie or disbelieve the truth and thus manipulate or control us. We know that Satan is the father of lies (John 14:6 , and that his purpose is to take away our agency; our freedom and our ability to act in truth. One of the primary ways that we combat fear is to know the truth. Jesus Christ said: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”(John 8:44). So in faith, if we wish to live without fear, we must come unto Him, even Jesus Christ.

There is a story that I love, because it dispels fear. It dispels fear because it illustrates what is really real when one seems to be in a situation that is without hope. Elisha, the prophet in Israel, shows his young servant, the reality and power of God. The King of Syria tries to capture Elisha the Prophet, because Elisha has told the King of Israel everything that the Syrian king is about to do, thus thwarting his every move. The Syrian king thinks he has a spy in his own court:

“Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? (II Kings 6:11) “And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber ”(II Kings 6:12).

“Therefore sent he, (the Syrian King), thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about ” (II Kings 6:14).

The Syrian army surrounds Elisha, his servant and the city they are in. When his servant, a young man, sees the great host surrounding them, he says: “Alas, my master! How shall we do?” (II Kings 6:15). How shall we do in these days? Like this servant, there are many things that compass us about. Elisha answers: “…Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them ” (II Kings 6:16) The servant cannot see what Elisha can see, and Elisha asks God to let the servant see the actual reality and power of God.

“…. 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 ” (II Kings 6:17).

In an instant, fear is gone and hope lives! The miracles go on from there. The Syrians are then blinded and led to Samaria where their sight is restored, they are given food and water and told to go back home. They do not come up against Israel again.

I pray that all of us might “see” as did the servant of Elisha, that the power of God, our Heavenly Father, is round about us, as were those mountains that were full of horses and chariots of fire! I pray that we might “fear not,” and be free. I pray that we might be free from the lies and deceptions that would cause us to fear, because we know the truth. Most of all, I hope that we might be free from fear, because we know that “they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”

Virginia (Ginger) Pettijohn is a retired US History and Civics Teacher which she taught at Wasilla Middle School for 32 years. She and her husband were both born in Alaska and have 5 children and 14 grandchildren. They are all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.