Category Archives: Fear

I’m Thankful to God for Being VERY Present Help in Trouble — Gratitude & Hope Challenge | November 15

I’m thankful to God for being VERY present help in trouble!

Years ago, I learned a valuable lesson about helping people while being ministered to by one of the first pastors I served under, Bro. Travis Gray.

It was April 1, 2005 and one of the hardest days of my life. I had been serving the Lord and ministering at Duck Hill Baptist since the previous November and was at my office on Friday, my only day off from college at that time. Bro. Travis was in his office that morning, too. We happened to be conversing when the phone rang. He answered, and there was a noticeable change in his voice, made more noticeable by the way he kept glancing up at me with a sudden seriousness in his eyes.

While he was hanging up the phone, he told me that had been my mom on the phone and that my cousin had just been in a terrible car accident and was being taken to the emergency room. He relayed Mama’s pleading that I drive carefully and resist the urge to speed in the hazardous road conditions, reminding me that one tragedy was bad but two would be worse. He said all of this in a pastoral calmness that was more felt than heard, and he concluded with: “I know you want to rush up there, but before you do, I’m going to pray for you and your family.”

I can feel the emotions from that conversation even as I sit here and type today even though it’s been nineteen years. As he prayed, I felt lost and confused and afraid and angry and sad — and scared in a way that I had never before.

I, of course, did the opposite of what my mom and Bro. Travis had warned, speeding the whole way to the hospital, as if there was something that could be solved by my haste. I knew as soon as I walked into the ER that Chris had passed. It was written on all of the faces. Mama and Daddy walked over and hugged me as I barely held back my emotions. I remember being allowed back to see my aunt and uncle who were with my cousin. My uncle wanted us to see and understand — still one of my most vivid memories.

Walking out of that room, I was in a daze. Sounds were like distant echoes, ringing out eyes, perceived yet not heard. There were embraces with every family member present. We were all crying, myself no longer able to hold back. As I allowed the tears to begin to flow, all of the feelings, all of the anguish and sadness flooded over me. I remember hitting my knees, devastated, when a hand was on my shoulder.

Bro. Travis had come on to the hospital right behind me and was there to comfort me. He didn’t say anything. He was just there. He didn’t try to find words because there were none. He just showed up and was present, reminding me of the God we serve and His Word, reminding me that there was help and grace and love when I was ready for it. He was present and strong when I was at my lowest and weakest.

That pastoral moment impressed upon me the beauty of God’s presence in our trouble. The difference is God’s presence is continual. The tears in the night — and the tears on this couch right now as I write this — were faced alone from human perspective, but I was not and am not left alone by my God because He is Emmanuel — God with us, God with me, God residing in me and closer than anyone else (Matthew 1:23, John 14:16-17).

More than that, God is not just with us, He is our refuge — a fortress we can come to and hide within (Psalm 91:1-2). He is a hiding place that can protect from everything natural and supernatural (Psalm 32:7).

God is also our strength. It does not matter that we are weak because our strength is inferior any way (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). He provides the strength the same as He does His presence and refuge (Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:13). He lifts us up when we are weak, weary, and without hope in the world (Isaiah 40:29-31, Ephesians 2:12-13).

All those years ago, a pastoral hand on my shoulder taught me this and made it real — helped me recognize that there is a more mighty hand in the midst of trouble (1 Peter 5:6-7). Nothing I have ever faced has been alone, God has been present — VERY present (Deuteronomy 31:8). Nothing I will ever face will be alone because my God will always be VERY present (Joshua 1:9). From the womb to the tomb and when I enter into God’s presence, I will have always been in His presence (Psalm 139:7-10, Revelation 21:3).

That’s good news, and a needed reminder.

Lord, thank You for always being there. I know that too often I take this for granted and act like I can do this on my own. You know I can’t and take care of me despite my foolishness. You are there in my trouble even when I am the cause of it.

Lord, thank You for Bro. Travis and the other pastors I have served with and serve with now. Thank You for being present with us and for us when we get to be present with the flocks You have allowed us to shepherd. Thank You for the strength of Your greater and more mighty hand while we lay our weak hands on hurting people we get to love.

Lord, thank You for being VERY present and allowing us to hide and be held by You.

Amen.

All through the month of November, our Christ Community Church family is focusing on what we are thankful for and expressing our thanks to our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14).

This, like the #DailyWisdomChallenge we went through in October, is a challenge from our pastor John Goldwater — the #GRATITUDEandHOPEchallenge — where we have the opportunity to post Bible passages that move us to thanksgiving or in which we find hope. May this lead you to be grateful and find your hope in Jesus!

Daily Wisdom Challenge — Proverbs 29

This proverb struck me as a poignant example of the perspective God gives us through His wisdom that counters the anti-wisdom of this world. 

Whatever you revere or fear drives you, or at least steers you. Think about it. If there are certain holidays or people that you revere, you will act a certain way around them. Your life and behavior change in their presence or on those days. It works the same with fear. If you are afraid of someone or something, your body does its own thing in their presence. Your heart rate will elevate; your skin may grow clammy and/or sweaty; and your fight-or-flight response kicks in. 

We live in a day and age when the powers-that-be use fear to motivate. This can be in the political arena as we have seen recently in many political ads and politically-driven social media posts. The news is always doom and gloom – and changes depending on the political leanings of one channel to the next. We have become accustomed to making decisions based on fear, and per the wisdom we see here, that sort of fear is a snare.

A snare is a device meant to catch something, and often carries with it the purpose of restraining something in order to kill it. If a hunter puts out a snare to catch an animal, it is often so that the animal can be caught, killed, and eaten.  This reminds me of the description of Satan in 1 Peter 5:8 as one prowling “around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”. Satan likes snares because they catch people unaware using camouflage and trickery. 2 Corinthians 4:4 describes this work as him blinding “the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” He has no glory of his own and nothing of worth for people to follow, so he tricks and hoodwinks people, trying to keep them from seeing the Light.

God doesn’t work like that. Everything is out in the open with Him – out in the light. We have seen throughout the #DailyWisdomChallenge that following God is often referenced as the “fear of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:24, 10:12, 31:12-13; 1 Samuel 12:24; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Job 28:28; Psalm 19:9, 34:11; Proverbs 1:7, 8:13, 9:10, 14:27; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Isaiah 11:2-3, 33:6; Luke 1:50; Acts 9:31; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:28-29), but this is not the kind of fear that Satan uses. As we said above, what you fear or reverence drives and motivates you. The Lord is not an adversary who uses fear to drive you to a snare but one who is worthy of our reverence, respect, and worship – One worth following. We can trust Him because He, like He teaches His people refuses “to practice cunning or to tamper with [His] Word, but by the open statement of the truth [commends Himself and us] to everyone’s conscience” (2 Corinthians 4:2). We can trust Him because He deals in truth; in fact, He is the Truth (John 14:6). 

While Satan is on the prowl seeking to devour and destroy, God offers His mighty hand to lift us up and offers the opportunity to cast “all [our] anxieties on Him, because He cares for [us]” (1 Peter 5:6-7). You can trust the Lord and be safe (Psalm 62:8). There is a big difference between prowling around like a lion and being the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5)! Jesus is the genuine article and came to seek and save the lost instead of seeking destruction (Luke 19:10, John 3:17)!

Your fear of what man can do to you lays a snare. But trusting in God brings safety – from the snare, from destruction, from being devoured.

That’s good news to those who trust in the Lord! How about you? Will you be driven by your fear of man or your trust in God?

For the month of October (and November for slowpokes like me), we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.

This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.

Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?