Apr 8
Boo!
“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 31:6 (NIV)
There is an old German proverb that states, “Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is”.
When I was a young kid, my older sister would often tell me scary things about the night so that I would crawl in bed with her and snuggle (I guess I was cute at one point in my life).
Needless to say, I grew up being terrified of the dark. My young mind would imagine all the dangerous possibilities that loomed in my bedroom, hallway, or right outside my window.
My fears were paralyzing. I was especially scared to death of death. It wasn’t until after I accepted Christ into my heart as a college freshman that I could start to cope with being in my house alone. There’s an old saying, “feed your faith and your fears will starve to death”.
I “starved” my fears with the last part of today’s verse. I made God my close friend. I still talk to Him knowing that He understands and is right with me.
We all have different fears that can paralyze us to some degree; rejection, authority figures, taking a risk, talking to new people, being without a friend nearby, losing loved ones, death, making a mistake, clowns, running out of money…
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, make me ‘strong and courageous’. Hold my hand as my Friend and Protection as I face and work through my fears. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.