Held By The Shepherd: Finding Peace Where Fear Takes Hold
Last week, a dear friend of mine was really struggling — her thoughts were spiraling as she waited for a potentially life-altering diagnosis. When I gently asked her what her main thought was, she said, “I’m scared of not being here anymore.”
That’s a deeply human fear — one that any of us might face when life suddenly feels uncertain. That same evening, I happened to be reading John 10, a passage about God as our Good Shepherd, and I felt compelled to share what stood out to me — both with her and now, with you.
“Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
— John 10:1–4
In verse 9, Jesus continues:
“I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”
And then, one of my favorite parts — verses 27–29 — ties it all together so powerfully:
“My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
There is such beautiful truth here for us as believers. When we trust in who Jesus is — God Himself — and in what He has done for us — dying for our sins and rising again to defeat death — we become part of His flock. He knows us by name. He leads us. He provides for us. He protects us. And most of all — He holds onto us.
For my friend who was spiraling, I reminded her: Our fight is not for salvation.
For me, every single day, that remains true: Our fight is not for salvation.
Maybe for you, reading this, that’s what you need to hear too.
Our fight is for our joy, our faith, and our trust in God.
Jesus tells us the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy — but notice what he cannot take. He can’t take our salvation. Verses 28–29 promise that no one can snatch us out of God’s hand. If the thief can’t steal our salvation, then what is he after?
He’s after our joy.
He’s after our peace.
He’s after our trust in God’s goodness.
When we spiral in fear or fixate on our circumstances, we are in a battle — not for eternity, but for the abundant life Jesus came to give. And when we know what we’re fighting for, we can better see how to fight.
But here’s the key: it’s not really about how.
It’s about who.
We fight by seeking Jesus — the One who already won the victory for us.
So this was my advice to her, and maybe it’s something you need too: saturate your world with Scripture. Write verses and put them where you’ll see them — on your mirror, your fridge, your dashboard. Read the Word. Listen to it. Surround yourself with Bible-based sermons, podcasts, and worship. Don’t give your mind long moments to wander in fear — keep returning to His truth, over and over, until the battle quiets.
Because when the fight is for joy, faith, and trust, no earthly solution will do. No self-help book, no distraction, no person can restore what only God can. What we seek is not of this world — it’s heavenly.
So seek the One who is in Heaven.
Stand firm in His promises.
And fight — not for victory, but from victory.
Because Jesus has already won it.
