You can learn a lot about people by studying the search history on their computer or phone. Mine, for example, includes two tabs on the book of Habakkuk, several on Google Docs, and a random assortment of blogging websites. If you guessed that I’m doing some reading, writing, and teaching, you’d be correct.
Using the same logic, it’s safe to draw conclusions about a prevailing mindset if websites experience a surge of activity around a particular topic. I was fascinated to learn that the most searched verse on The Bible App in 2025 was Isaiah 41:10:
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Add to this knowledge the fact that BibleGateway’s most searched verse was Psalm 23:4:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.”
Apparently, in 2025, fear was on our minds, and so far in 2026, not much has changed. Fear is a response to danger—or to perceived danger. We’ve been hardwired with a life-preserving fight-or-flight mechanism, but sometimes the enemy is invisible, and there’s nowhere to fly, so we have to persevere in circumstances that legitimately inspire fear.
I had my first appointment with a new neurologist this week, and he said things about my future with Parkinson’s disease that caught me off guard. I’ve added medication to my trusty exercise routine, and from now on, every driver’s license renewal will come at the discretion of a medical professional. I suppose “flight” from a diagnosis would look like withdrawal, avoidance, or denial, and “fight” might take the form of rage (for all the good it would do…).
The truth is that we can’t fight or escape from many of the things we fear.
How, then, does one live alongside things that inspire fear and yet remain healthy in body and spirit?
I think the folks behind the big searches on the Bible websites were on the right track.
The truth is that we can’t fight or escape from many of the things we fear. How, then, does one live alongside things that inspire fear and yet remain healthy in body and spirit?
Tweet
Pray in a Different Way
The host of the Uncommon Knowledge podcast interviewed former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse following his announcement that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Suddenly plunged into a life of chemotherapy and morphine, pain and weakness, his courageous faith shone through his honest discussion about death and suffering. (The entire interview is well worth watching.)
Sasse shared that the desperation of his “regrets about love and service, and the pain, all those lead you to pray in a different way.” I’ve listened to the interview, read through the transcript, and now I’m asking myself, “Am I praying in a different way because of my own diagnosis and the challenges surrounding it?” I hope so.
Knowing that God promises to be with me to strengthen, help, and uphold inspires gratitude and squelches loneliness and self-pity. Reading about a traveling companion who carries a rod and a staff inspires courage.
As we endure things we would not have chosen, we can derive encouragement and strength from God’s words to Israel. They may have deserved God’s destructive judgment as much as the surrounding nations, but they would not be obliterated like Edom and Assyria. Instead, they would be disciplined and then restored because God is faithful.
Like Ben Sasse, we will all walk “through the valley of the shadow of death,” and when we do, we can bring our fear to the Shepherd whose comforting staff and protective rod will not fail to lead us home.
Holding You in the Light,
Like Ben Sasse, we will all walk “through the valley of the shadow of death,” and when we do, we can bring our fear to the Shepherd whose comforting staff and protective rod will not fail to lead us home.
Tweet
More Biblical Encouragement for You on the YouVersion App
As you know, I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path. At Living Our Days, I provide biblical content and resources to encourage biblical literacy and faithful living, and now I’m sharing devotional content on the YouVersion app. Visit my profile page to get free access to all the reading plans!
Have You Read the Latest Newsletter?
On the third Thursday of every month, I send a newsletter with biblical encouragement straight to my subscribers’ email inboxes. Frequently, I share free resources, and the newsletter is where all the news lands first.
CLICK HERE to find me on Substack, where my goal is to help you on the path of becoming a confident follower of God and a student of His Word.
Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate, which means that whenever you purchase a book I’ve shared here through the link I provide, I’ll receive a very small commission. It doesn’t cost you more, and I only share books here that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
Photo by Melanie Wasser on Unsplash
Living Our Days 