Have you ever wondered what can overcome fear? Is there anything that can? Alex and his sister Emily found out there is something greater than our fears, and with faith comes great courage. Alex Mills lived in Lakeville Minnesota with his parents and sister. His father was a park ranger while his mother was a bookkeeper. Alex is twelve years old while Emily is ten, and they were not just siblings, but best friends. They went to church with their parents at Cornerstone Church of Christ and loved singing praises every Sunday morning.

On this certain day in October the preacher, Samuel Patterson, taught how God loves everyone, even the animals as they are His creation. Now Alex and Emily love animals, they went to the zoo once a week and loved watching the dolphins, giraffes, tigers, but their favorite animals were wolves.

After the sermon was over the kids asked Samuel if God loves wolves. Samuel answers that they are his creation, we as humans are to have dominion over them, but there are people out there who hate wolves and will kill them for fun. The next day Emily and Alex hear their father arrive home from work, but he is distraught.

During supper he tells the family that Senator John Cain had proclaimed the rest of the month ‘Hunting Season for Wolves’ and that it was okay to kill them for sport starting the next day. This was heartbreaking for the kids and their mother had to comfort Emily. Alex asked if there was anything anyone could do, to which his father smiled and said no. The government was too big and powerful.

Later that evening Emily finds Alex on the computer researching wolf populations. Alex told her that there are almost three thousand wolves in the state of Minnesota to which Emily happily says that it could take a long time to bring down the population. But Alex was unsure about that. He’d heard conversations amongst adults that John Cain was not a Christian.

Alex felt scared at the thought of these beautiful animals being extinct, and all because one man said it was okay. Emily said they could save them, to which Alex said they would need thousands of dollars for that. Emily emptied her piggy bank to reveal seven dollars. That night when the kids were in bed Alex’s mom knelt by his bed to pray with him as they did every night.

Alex prayed that God would help the wolves survive the hunting and that they would not go extinct. The following morning, terrible news arrived. Their father states that many farmers and hunters took to the woods and forests, and many wolves were killed. Alex was angry. Had God not heard his prayer? Why on the first day would He allow not just a few, but dozens to be killed?

That evening Alex sat in the living room, quietly. His father came in saying he was sorry this was happening and that he too wished he could do something. Alex told him that he’d prayed, and God did not answer his prayer, and he felt scared.

His father tells him that it is okay to feel afraid sometimes and reminds him in Romans 8:28 that God works everything out to those who love Him. His father also tells Alex to have faith, so that night with his mother by his side, Alex prays again. But bad news came again, Senator Cain is winning as people are pouring money into the hunting season.

Before bed Alex asks his parents if they can start a fundraiser to save the wolves. Emily comes to him the next day as they gather what money they had and together they brought twenty dollars to their mother. Moved by their act of faith, she begins a petition for the kids. They stand on the street corner near their home and hold up signs. Many cars passed by them without a glance, even a few joggers ran past.

A few days later they had zero signatures. After a week, Alex and Emily feel fear and doubt consuming them, and they wonder if God even wants wolves to be saved. The following Sunday Samuel came up to the kids before service and asked how the petition was going. Alex says they had two signatures from their parents.

The preacher smiled and said they now had three. Emily asked why this was happening for she noticed some of the men in the church talking how they were excited for a hunt that day. Samuel smiled again, and reminded the kids that faith is stronger than fear. But Alex answers that he was not sure he believed that. Samuel asked if the kids doubted God would act, to which they both nodded yes. Samuel thought for a minute and instead of the sermon he had prepared, he brings out a lesson of faith vs fear.

He began by saying that there is much fear in the world, and how itis all over the news, different countries, even right here in the city. How thousands of people are letting fear consume them to the point that that’s all they know. But fear wants to break us down, it wants to make us doubt ourselves and even doubt God. So, you see, these two things cannot coexist. 2 nd Timothy 1:7 says that God has not given us a mind of fear… This means that we make the choice whether we live in fear or find faith in God and Christ knowing they are always with us.

Here is a quote I saw that I love… ‘Fear paralyzes, but faith mobilizes’ Fear wants to break us down, but faith wants to build us up. And do not put your faith, your life, into the hands of other humans. Because Christ is the one who saved your life on the cross, not your neighbor, not your brother, your father, your grandpa, or your cousin.

It was the Son of God. He gave His own blood and then rose on the third day. And when we find the faith that is a mustard seed and decide to follow Him, we get baptized into His death, Romans 8:3-4. Reborn, a new life in Christ… is that not something we should put our faith in?! I know I have; I was baptized twenty years ago. And though I’ve been far from perfect, even though I struggle with anxiety and temptations every day, I know, I have faith over fear, that God is with me.

Having faith in God’s plan even when our own lives are troubled means we believe that He will come through for us. Meaning it may look difficult, but God has got your back. His promises are true and unending.

God is not a god of fear, He is the God of love, hope, and faith. You see faith and fear cannot coexist. Now, many may say (and it is true) we need to FEAR God.

Yes, but that is not the fear I’m referring to. We need to fear God because He is all powerful and can make the very foundation beneath us quake. But there is a fear that is of the devil.

There is an old Indian story about a boy who asks his grandfather about the battle that rages in each of us. The grandfather tells him there are two wolves, one is black, dark, sinful, fear, temptation, and hatred. But the other is white, pure, good, loving, faithful, forgiving. The boy asks, “Grandfather, which wolf will win?” And I love this answer, “The one you feed.”

If you feed fear, it will consume you, if you feed faith, it will lift you up. But what is faith, how do we obtain it, how can we use it to defeat fear and break the dark? One way is to have the shield of faith with which you can withstand the fiery darts of the evil one, Ephesians 6:16.

Hebrews 11:1 talks about a faith that is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for. To me this verse says that even though I cannot see God physically in the good times or the bad, I have faith and believe that He is there. And I can put my hope in that.

So, I hope you have been uplifted in your walk. Don’t give up, don’t give in, let faith in Christ shine before men so they too can see it, believe in it, washed in the blood of Christ, receive salvation, and show that same faith to others. There is a quote from a book series:

“Do you fear the battle ahead? Do not give in to fear, for faith is stronger. Have faith like a fire that never burns to ember. And if that flame should ever go out, then you take a match, and you light it again. But know that God and Christ are with you to lift you up and rekindle that fire.”

Upon hearing the words of the sermon Alex feels his heart lift. He and Emily tried the petition again. Over the next few days, they stand on the corner and are overwhelmed by the support. By the end of the week, they have over four hundred signatures. With new faith and courage, the kids take the fight to the city. Alex and Emily approach the stand seeing Senator Cain watching them. After only a few minutes John waves them off saying there is nothing to be done for the wolves except hunt them to protect farms.

But Alex and Emily are not to be moved, they stand their ground of faith and say that wolves are God’s creation, and that many people around the world love them. John replies that they kill hundreds of livestock around farms to which Emily says, ‘and you kill thousands of them. They live and breathe the same air we do as humans.’
Senator Amanda Thomas speaks up saying that she agrees that wolves are vital to the survival of other animals and even humans. But John disagrees saying that nothing can overturn the ruling, and that children are not strong enough to bring such a request to the city. Alex comes closer to the podium and says, “God can”. Alex then explains that in God’s word He created the animals, not for hunting, killing, or any cruel torment just because of hatred.

The children’s father comes forward and says that this ruling is causing fear and hatred amongst people, and this should not be. As John opens his mouth, three other senators stand and say that they want to overturn the ruling. To his dismay other parents in the room say the same thing. Outraged, John stands and shouts that these children know nothing about the world and that fear is the way of things. But Amanda waves a hand saying that these children have shown faith in coming this far and courage to fight for what they believe in. John argues that the money coming in is good for the state. But Alex says something that makes the entire room go silent.

‘Is money all that matters, more than lives that are lost in hunting? More than lives lost in war?’Even Senator Cain is quiet, unable to speak. ‘You hear it on the news every day’ Emily says ‘Wars, robberies, violence. We watch the news every night with our parents. And all there is, is fear.’

After two hours, the kids walked out of the court room, hearts filled with gladness and faith strong, though neither knew what the outcome could be. As they leave, Amanda comes out and says the court has changed its mind and the hunting will cease. ‘You have touched our lives with your words. And because of that, your faith and courage have made you strong.’

Samuel Patterson comes up to them. Alex can hardly control his happiness as Samuel tells him God did come through, because of he and Emily’s faith. Faith is stronger than fear, and if we have enough even the size of amustard seed, we can do and overcome incredible things with God on our side.