When I'm Scared

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." Psalm 46:1, 2.

Most people that I know love to lisen to rain and thunderstorms. I am not one of those people. I have never enjoyed the rumblings of the thunder nor do I favor the sharp electrical point of a lightening bolt. When I think of a thunderstorm two short stories come to mind.

The first is from when I was about 9 years old. My face is buried into the shoulder of my Nanny (Grandmother) as tears roll down my cheeks. "I don't like storms," I whine.
Patting my head she soothes me with sweet words, "Jesus will take care of you. He made the rain. He knows what he's doing." I knew that Jesus would never leave me and I knew that He loved me so why was I so afraid?

The second story that comes to mind is the story of Jesus sleeping among his friends in a fishing vessel as it bobs up and down on the sea of Galilee. Of course we know that after awhile the gentle sway of the boat became violent as a storm approached. Panicked and in fear for their lives the Disciples were all afraid...This is the part of the story that boggles my mind. They have the Son of God in the boat with them and they still experience fear.

My husband once told me that, "God never expected us to experience fear. It's a result of sin in this world." Although I have Jesus in the boat (in my life) I still may experience moments of fear. That is until I put my eyes and faith in God and remember that He is there with me. For me, the beautiful thing about this story is not that He has the power to calm the storm, but that He is experiencing the storm right along with them. What an amazing God! He's in the boat. He feels the gusts of wind, He hears and sees the thunder and lightening. If we can just close our eyes and listen for His voice, "Peace, be still." We can have our own calm in the storm.

Here are some lyrics from a song that I believe God gifted to me, "You promise to supply all of my needs. You know my dreams and my fears, but fear is not something you created. It's part of sin in this world. So I will stand true. I will be your faithful. I will be a Job for you. I will stand true." -Stand True, from Joey Tolbert's CD Parables