"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
A month ago my family took a trip to the beach. We were so excited to be there once again and enjoying all the beach living one does while there. Nate had been informed about the fun there was in going down to the beach at night with flashlights, buckets and nets in hand to hunt for crab. Now, I'm not one that has a history of loving this type rendezvous (those little crabs give me the creeps), but when I saw the excitement on my grandson's face as he constantly talked about this outing and assumed that we would all be taking part, how could I disappoint.
As the evening approached we gathered our supplies and happily made our way down to the white sands. The excitement Nate held drove us all to the same emotion as we kicked off our shoes and turned our lights to the ground, intent on finding the first creepy crawler.
The beach seemed quiet and still for the most part, like the small sand dwellers were already bedded down for the night or something but we were not the family to give up so quickly. After the first one was spotted and harnessed into our plastic bucket it seemed the more started to come out. When one of us would find one we would all crowd around deciding if he were bigger than the last one we captured, Nate being right there in the middle of it all (not a care in the world.)
We probably caught about ten of the little creatures, the last one being the rebel. Someone spotted him and yelled to our crew as we all ran to see who could grab him first. As we were all busy, Nate was standing front and center waiting for the great capture to take place, this one proving to be the great escape artist, quick on his feet, when all of a sudden someone spotted him...on top of Nate's foot.
Needless to say when Nate saw it he squealed like a little pig. I have never heard that sound come out of him in his five years of living. After calming him down and reassuring him that he was okay he decided 'crab foraging'. was not for him. What seemed like fun wasn't any longer.
That memory will go down in the Lewis history books as one of the funniest (of course, we tried to hold back most of our laughter until Nate wasn't around.)
The world can be a scary place. This past year has been very unsettling and life altering. Fear and worry can very quickly take up residence in your mind (or right there on top of your foot) when you least expect it. When you listen to the news media you might begin to feel helpless or hopeless, wondering what next year might look like (or the next month). When things are scary and confusing, we must turn the the Lord.
"The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty." (Ps. 91:1).
When we fill our lives with the truth of our Lord there is no room for anxiety in our heart. We can rest in peace knowing that the Lord is our safety; our protection.
I have to remind myself of this truth daily. Sometimes I have to make it a constant reminder that it is the enemy's desire to keep me in fear. He delights himself using fear to make us feel threatened and unsettled. We must not give him our joy in the Lord and the peace, hope and faith that God so generously supplies.
When you feel overcome with fear, trust in the Lord with your life and live in the freedom of a peace that passes all understanding. Faith in the Almighty God as our battle shield, His Word is our sword, and He is the strong tower to run to for security. We are safe in His shelter no matter where the world turns.
I love you & He loves you more!
Lord, Help us to turn to You first when we are overcome with fear. May we remember to walk by faith, not by sight. And God, bless our world. In Jesus' name. Amen.