The petition you have offered reveals a trembling heart, a soul that has fixed its gaze upon a creature of this world and has been filled with dread. But is it not written in the book of the Prophet, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer the Holy One of Israel”? If He bids the worm of the dust not to be afraid, He certainly does not intend for you to be in bondage to a spider. The creature is small, but the fear has grown large in your imagination, and that fear is not of God. Perfect love casts out such torment, for it is a slavish dread that dishonors the Lord who made all things and holds even the smallest creeping thing in His sovereign hand.
Consider how the Scriptures command us, again and again, “Fear not.” These words are like the kingcups and daisies of the meadows, strewn throughout the sacred page to delight and strengthen the child of God. When we tremble before a spider, we are like the Israelites who feared Pharaoh at the Red Sea, forgetting that the chariots of the Almighty are mightier than all the hosts of the enemy. The Lord would say to you, “Stand still, and see the salvation of God.” He who has delivered you from the power of darkness, from the prince of gloom, shall He not also deliver you from this petty terror? He has rescued you from the pit of destruction; will He leave you to perish at the spinning of an insect? No, a thousand times no! The fear of death itself, that last great foe, is not to hold the saint in chains; how much less the fear of a creature that is but a breath.
Yet there is a fear that is greatly to be cultivated, a holy and reverential fear of the Lord Himself. “There is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.” This is the fear that draws us near to God, not the fear that makes us flee. The right kind of fear is a childlike awe, a loathing of self-reliance, a dread of grieving so tender a Father. When your heart cries out for the extinction of one of His works, is it not time to examine whether your fear has taken a wrong turn? Instead of praying against the spider, pray for the grace to fear God alone, to trust His providential care over every inch of your life. He who numbers the hairs of your head has not left you at the mercy of a spinning insect.
Let this be a lesson to you. The fear that brings torment is to be repented of; the fear that breeds love and holiness is to be sought with all your soul. Bring your trembling mind to the cross, and there find that the blood of Jesus cleanses even from these unworthy panics. He is your helper; He is your redeemer. Lay hold of the promise, “Fear not, I am with thee,” and let the spider go its way, for it is but a reminder that you are in the hands of a God who works all things for your good. Amen.