:Love Helps Us to Overcome Fear - FEAR OF DEATH

 Although we do not want to dier, we know that Jehovah will not stop loving us if our life should end.  (Read Romans 8:37-39.)  When Jehovah's friends die, he keeps them in his memory, as if they were still alive.  (Luke 20:37, 38) He longs  to bring them them back to life.  (Job 14:15) Jehovah has paid a  high price so that we"might . . . have everlasting life." (John 3:16)  We know how deeply Jehovah loves and cares for us. So rather than abandon Jehovah when we are sick  or threatened with death, we turn to him for comfort, wisdom, and strength. That is exactly what Valerie and her husband did. - PSALM 41:3.

When she was 35 years old, Valerie was diagosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer.  Consider how love helped her to overcome her fear of death.  She relates:  "My diagnosis changed our life overnight.  I needed major surgery to survive.  I consuted many surgeons, but they all refused to operate without  administering blood. I was scared, but in view of God's command, there was no way I would accept a blood transfusion!  Throughout my life, Jehovah has shown me so much love. Now I had an opportunity to show my love for him.  Every time I would get bad news, It made me even more determined  to make Jehovah proud and not let Satan win. I eventually has a successful operation without blood.  Though my health issues continued, Jehovah has always provided what we needed. For example, at our congregation meeting on the weekend before diagnosis, we considered the article 'Meeting Today's Adversaries with Courage.' This article was a lifesaver for us. We read it over and over again.  Articles like this and a good spiritual routine have given my husband and me inner peace and have helped us to stay balanced and make good decisions." 

Next time:  Love Helps Us to Overcome Fear - OVERCOMING OUR FEARS

From the jw.org publications