Devotional Part 4: Others Started to Notice
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
—John 16:33 (NIV)
Jesus’ words in John 16:33 do not deny the reality of fear. They name it plainly: “In this world you will have trouble.” For a six-year-old, trouble is not something to be understood. It is something felt in the body long before it can be explained.
First grade was when I became truly aware of fear. Hospital rooms were no longer just places I was taken; they were places my nervous system remembered. I understood enough to anticipate what might happen, even if I didn’t fully understand why. I began to express my fears before procedures happened, rather than trying to be the “perfect little patient.” I was just a six-year-old child afraid of what might happen next.
Naming my fears didn’t change what happened. Procedures still took place after reassurances had been given, often when I was alone at night. Promises were unintentionally broken. I began to learn that voicing my fears aloud did not necessarily bring protection.
School was no longer a place of fun. My classmates noticed I was different. I became aware of puzzled looks, whispers, and stares.
Jesus does not rush past this kind of fear. He does not minimize it or explain it away. He explicitly states that we will have trouble and then offers Himself as the One who stands stronger than the world. He does not promise the absence of pain. He promises His presence in it.
A Prayer
Jesus,
I was so young when fear started to make sense to me. I didn’t have words for it. I only knew that something felt unsafe.
You were there in those hospital rooms. You were there in the nights when I was afraid of what might happen after the lights went out. You saw the confusion when what I was told didn’t match what happened.
I didn’t know how to separate broken systems from broken promises. I only knew that trust felt fragile. Thank You for staying steady when everything else felt uncertain.
I still carry places where trust was quietly fractured. I still feel fear rise faster than I want it to. Help me not to shame that fear. Help me bring it to You instead of hiding it.
Teach me what it means to take heart—not by pretending trouble isn’t real, but by trusting that You have already overcome what I cannot.
When I don’t understand, hold me steady. When I am afraid, remind me that You are not surprised by my fear. Rebuild what was shaken in me, slowly and gently.
Thank You for being present then. Thank You for being present now.
In Jesus’ name, I pray,
Amen
A Song for Reflection
Some prayers are spoken clearly. Others are carried quietly, long before we have words for them. This song reflects the kind of prayer that rises out of fear and the need to be held rather than fixed. It echoes the heart of John 16:33—not by denying trouble, but by placing our trust in the One who stands stronger than it.
Save Me
Written by Steffany Gretzinger, Jason Ingram, Joel Taylor (Bethel Music)
Performed by Steffany Gretzinger
“You’re my hero
You’re the only one who is strong enough
You’re my hero
You always pick me up before I self-destruct”
These words name a truth I could not yet understand in first grade. I did not know what it meant that Christ had overcome the world, but I was learning what it meant to be afraid. This song reminds us that overcoming does not begin with our strength, our understanding, or our courage. It begins with His.
As you listen, let this song be a companion rather than a conclusion. Let it sit beside fear, unanswered questions, and the places where trust is still forming.