Bible Gems

Perfect love casts out fear, and God is love (see 1 Jn 4:16-19). So let us allow His Word to find a home in our hearts each day with these 366 Scriptural exhortations to fear not, as we journey through the books of the Bible using verses drawn from the Divine Mercy Catholic Bible (Revised Standard Version--Catholic Edition 2). At the beginning of his pontificate, the Great Mercy Pope, St. John Paul II, told the world, "Do not be afraid!" That wasn't just an exhortation to be stoic, tough, and strong, but rather the beginning of evangelization. We do not need to fear because our God is mighty to save (see Zeph 3:17). Jesus Christ is the Divine Mercy Incarnate, as St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) and Bl. Michael Sopocko (1888-1975) teach us. Jesus is our God, our Savior, our Lord. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (see Jn 14:6), so what have we to fear? If our God is for us, who can be against us (see Rom 8:31)? Scripture tells us not to put our trust in earthly princes (Ps 146:3); instead, we can put our trust in Jesus. This is the spirituality of Divine Mercy. This is the spirituality of the Catholic, of all Christians, of children of Mary and members of the household of God, which is the Church (see 1 Tim 3:15). Jesus, I trust in You!