The panoramic scene bore witness of houses leveled, for as far as the eye could see. I was watching a documentary of the rescue of victims from the destructive 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak that killed 48 people. As the reporter continued his interview, a faint cry was heard. Silence fell all around until rescuers coursed the sound coming from a pile of rubble, once a house.
As the firemen and volunteers rummaged through broken broads, sheetrock, and crushed furniture, they found a grandmother clutching her three month old grandson. She was hysterical as she handed the child through a small opening. What caught my attention was when the fireman reached down and took the baby from the grandmother. This baby was oblivious to the chaos taking place around him. He had felt secure in his grandmothers loving arms and now sound asleep, the tiny infant cuddled up to the fireman safe under his heavy coat—not a care in the world. I couldn’t help but think of us as God’s little children. Like this baby in the mist of the worst of storms, our Father wants us to cuddle up close and leave our cares to Him. I’ll be the first to admit this is a lot easier said than done.
As we pan across the horizon of the today’s world events, we also see destruction and chaos everywhere. The documentary was filmed after the storms ended and the sun was shining. However for us, impending storm clouds loom in every direction signaling there is more to come. Jesus warned that in the last days, men’s hearts would fail from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth… (Luke 21:26). If you were planning on moving to a country where you could find safety from all the turmoil taking place, you would have to search.
A few countries are listed in the Global Peace Index as peaceful places without war or civil unrest. Iceland is rated as the most peaceful place in the world. Yet four years ago Iceland’s three largest banks collapsed. In 2010, volcanic ash from one of Iceland’s approximate 22 active volcanoes closed most of European airspace for five days. Japan is number five in the rating; however it has been devastated by earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear disasters. The Western world is teetering on financial collapse. In the USA, a devastating drought, the worst since 1956 has left more than half the country withering in unrelenting heat. It’s a struggle not to become fearful.
Fear is a power force. It imprisons; it disheartens; and it puts hopelessness at the heart of life. Dr. Charles Mayo of Mayo Clinic says that fear affects the heart, the circulation, the glands, the nervous system, and the health. In the Old Testament, Nabal died of fear when he heard about the visit of David (1 Samuel 25:37).
Fear is ingrained in all creation since Adam and Eve sinned. Adam hid when he heard God’s voice in the garden—I was afraid.
Not all fear is harmful, however; there is to be a place in the heart of the Christian for the right kind of fear. This fear keeps us putting our hand on a hot stove. It brings about a fear of the LORD.
The wrong kind of fear can paralyze and keep us from doing things we could or should do. Jesus warned that the worries of this age . . . can choke the word, until it becomes unfruitful. So, what are our options? We can’t conquer fear in ourselves. Only through Christ working in us can we overcome fear. The ability of living without the wrong kind of fear is a matter of dependence on the God. It is a matter of cuddling up close and leaving our cares to Him. Oswald Chambers wrote, “The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”
Sustaining Word for the Week:
My children still have a proper fear towards Dad. Even though they are grown and married, all of them know they can come and say, “Dad I’m afraid. Can I cuddle up close to you for a little while?” I’d be there with open arms. Your heavenly Father is waiting for you with His open arms.