Fainting Goats

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 1:26-32

Kayla watched as her dad herded two baby goats into the family’s goat pen. They looked so cute as they started eagerly exploring their new surroundings, curious about all the other goats in the pen.

“Can I go in and pet them, Dad?” asked Kayla.

“Sure!” Dad said. “Just be careful not to startle them. These goats are sometimes called fainting goats because—”

Before Dad could finish his explanation, their dog Buster bounded into the yard and started barking excitedly at the new arrivals. Immediately, the baby goats stiffened their legs and fell over.

“Oh no!” exclaimed Kayla. “I think something’s wrong with the baby goats!”

“They’re fine,” Dad reassured her as he calmed down Buster. “I was just going to say that these are called fainting goats because when they get startled, their legs stiffen and they tumble over. They don’t really faint. They actually have a medical condition that causes their muscles to stay tense longer than usual when they get scared. That’s why they fall.”

Kayla hurried into the pen to check on the babies. Soon they relaxed and were back on their feet, roaming around the pen as usual. Kayla started feeding them grain pellets from her hand. “I know exactly how they feel! I felt like fainting when I had to give my speech in front of my whole class last week. I was so scared!”

Dad smiled. “I know you were extremely nervous, but you didn’t let fear paralyze you.”

“I asked God to help me,” said Kayla. “When it was time to give my speech, I took a deep breath and said a quick prayer. I felt more confident walking up front because I knew God was with me.”

“There are a lot of verses in the Bible reminding us not to be afraid because God is with us,” Dad said. “It’s okay to feel nervous and scared sometimes, but we don’t want to let that stop us from doing what we need to do. Jesus promises to always be with us, so we never have to face any situation alone. We can have courage because He is with us even when we feel scared.”

Kayla grinned. “I’ll remember that the next time I feel like a fainting goat!”

-Kendra Angle

How About You?

Have you ever felt so afraid about a situation that you thought you couldn’t go through with it? Maybe it was giving a speech, taking a test, going to a new school, or going to the doctor. God promises to be with us through every hard time. When you feel overwhelmed, remember that He has given you His Spirit, who is always with you. Trust Him for help and courage when you feel afraid.

Today’s Key Verse: 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Trust God when you’re afraid