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17:10). Shortly thereafter, when the poor widow received direc tion from the prophet to return home to bake and bring bread to him, “she went away and did as Elijah had told her” (1 Kings 17:15). Once again, as depicted in chapter one, we see evidence of swift obedience. Such action is vital, especially during troubling times. Observe, as well, that Elijah prefaced his words by reassuring the woman, “Don’t be afraid” (1 Kings 17:13). Sources claim that some form of these words occur 365 times in Scripture, one for each day of the year. Speaking to Abram, the Lord said, “Do not fear . . . I am a shield to you;Your reward shall be very great” (Genesis 15:1). Addressing Moses concerning the enemies the Israelites would face, the Lord said, “Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you” (Deuteronomy 3:22).When Joshua faced a similar situation, the Lord spoke, saying, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel” Renowned advice columnist Ann Landers reportedly re ceived ten thousand letters per month.When asked about the most common problem in her readers’ lives, she answered, “The one problem above all others seems to be fear. People are afraid of losing their health, their wealth, and their loved ones. People are afraid of life itself.” 2 This isn’t surprising, considering the constant occurrence of crime, chaos and crises going on around us. During times like these, we must focus on Paul’s words more than ever, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2Timothy 1:7 KJV). Facing her fears, the poor widow went home to bake bread for herself, her son, and Elijah. And as promised, “The jar of flour

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