“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 6:31, NIV
From Genesis to Revelation, God exhorts believers not to be afraid. Join me this week as we venture to be fearless in a world packed with reasons to fear.
Things That Go Thump in the Night
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”
Proverbs 3:24, NIV
“Burglary! Burglary! You have violated a protected area! Leave the premises immediately!”
Our alarm split the stillness of the early morning air. All too familiar with the drill, my husband grabbed the gun and checked the area indicated by the motion detector. I groggily gave our password to the voice on the line at Central Station. The good news―it was another false alarm. Forever a mystery. The bad news―it wasn’t even 5 a.m., and I was wide awake again. I surrendered to the adrenaline pumping through my veins, hit the switch on the coffeemaker, and reluctantly conceded defeat.
Clutching my coffee mug, I sank into the couch on the landing―my favorite place to greet the day―and noticed that our daughter’s bedroom door was still shut. Her room was dark and quiet. Had she even flinched as the 120-decibel alarm screamed overhead? If she had been awakened, she remained unrattled by the morning’s chaos. Her composure was the epitome of trust in us, her parents, the ones responsible for her protection.
Do I exhibit this same level of trust in my heavenly Father, who is sovereign over all that threatens to harm me? Do you? I’ve never thought of myself as a person plagued by fear, but as I become increasingly aware of the evil that prevails in this world, I can sense an uneasiness hovering just beneath the surface of my thoughts. Fear of the unknown. Fear of threats. Across our nation, we are growing more and more apprehensive concerning terrorist attacks, the economy, unemployment, retirement, health care, and the upcoming elections. If we dwell on catastrophic events, our vulnerability as a nation, or persecution worldwide, we can conjure up an incredible amount of fear―fear that will hold us hostage even when the alarms are false.
As responsible parents and citizens, it’s wise to invest in measures to secure the safety of our homes and our loved ones. But what about those things over which we have no control? Do we react to them with fear and anxiety? In life, it’s impossible to know all we’ll need to overcome, but it is possible to know the Overcomer. Scripture tells us that the God who watches over us neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3). If we have a relationship with our heavenly Father and trust in His love and protection, we’ll be less disturbed by the alarms from without or within. As we rest in His care, our Father can be trusted to handle whatever threatens to invade our positions of peace.
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety”
(Psalm 4:8, NIV).
Sleep tight!
Starr