Monday's Devotion: Fear and God

"God is [my] refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1


I am afraid of the dark. I have always been afraid of the dark. I'm a grown woman, and I still turn on all the lights in my house as I walk down the hallway to my bedroom. I run to the room at night and snuggle under my covers before my husband can turn all the lights off in the house because I do not want to be engulfed in the darkened room.

When I was in my teens I made a point of memorizing Psalm 46:1. This verse came in handy when I found myself in darkness. One of my first jobs was to be a camp counselor at the Girl Scout Plantation in Cordesville, South Carolina. One week in particular, my "hour off" was right after the sun set. Instead of going to hang out in the Counselor's lounge or go watch the only tv on the plantation, I spent that time in a secluded place with the Lord. Unfortunately that meant I had to walk back to my campers' site in the dark, by myself. I repeated Psalm 46: 1 over and over again (and very loudly at that). Was I ever really in any trouble? Beside the possibility of running into a bob cat or two, not really. The only trouble I have ever truly been in every time I fear the dark is the lack of trust I put in God. Isaiah 55:8 says that God's thoughts and actions are not my own. Thank God for that! In all those times I run from the dark, I am also running from the comfort of God's thoughts and actions.

Now I have my own children, all three who seem to have their mother's fear of the dark. My prayer for them is to learn early on to put their trust in God. It is so easy for us humans to fall right into Satan's traps of disobedience. Not putting trust in God separates us from the blessings he wants to put on us. So yes, I will continue to remember Psalm 46:1, but more importantly, I want to teach my children, and I want to remind myself that I need to "trust in the Lord with all [my] heart, and to lean not onto [my] own understanding" Proverbs 3:5.

Lord, so many times I put my trust in ME. I sin outright by not trusting in You. Who am I to think I have it all planned out perfectly when You see all things and you know what's better for me? Your plans for me are perfect. So many times I look at those plans from right here and right now and my fear is that I can't see the end. But you have a plan for my life that is perfect and complete. Forgive me for my lack of faith in you. Guide me in trusting You in every aspect of my life. And open my family's eyes to see your good and perfect will for their lives. Help them to remember to trust You much sooner than I did and to hold on to that truth when they are tested. In your incredible name I pray, Amen.