On February 19th, I posted a short video on my God of All Comfort Facebook page about real fear that I experienced back when I was a teenager. My best friend for a time was into witchcraft (Fortunetellers, Witches & Other Strange Stuff).
That was before I became a Christian. In my teen years I often felt lonely and unloved, so I ended up dabbling into way too much stuff.
As I mentioned in that video, it has only been within the last 10 years that I’ve been able to sleep at night when my husband’s out of town without any lights on, because there were too many terrifying memories – images that would come back to haunt me.
But even when we’re Christians, we find ourselves really afraid sometimes, don’t we? We know we’re not supposed to be, but we are.
I’ve found myself afraid often for our son, Jeffrey. He’s now 26 years-old and lives with caretakers in Arizona – his choice. He has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is full-time in a wheelchair. Unfortunately within the past couple of years he’s decided to no longer do his physical, occupational and speech therapies. We can definitely tell the difference when we see him, and our hearts break. What’s going to happen? We worry his muscles are going to completely atrophy, and that soon he won’t be able to do anything at all by himself.
He had such great dreams! Dreams of becoming a pilot someday. He even moved away to Arizona so he could attend an aeronautical college there because nothing was going to take that dream away. Gary and I were over-the-edge with stress, but everything worked out – at least in the beginning. God opened the doors for him.
But now it’s like Jeffrey’s given up on his dreams. He quit college after his junior year, and I fear for him, because I wonder just what will happen if he keeps on this path he’s chosen. It seems as though he’s just given up, and spends his days sitting at home watching movies and playing computer games.
But I’m taking God out of the equation, aren’t I?
Isaiah 41:10 says to not fear; and Psalm 27:14 says we’re to be patient and courageous. God Himself will give us the strength we need.
And I know all that, but still…
Last week I attended a prayer meeting, which was just phenomenal. The Lord’s presence radiated in that room, and I found myself in tears more than once as we worshiped and prayed together.
The main focus was Psalm 91, where it says God is faithful. He is our deliverer – He is our refuge.
But what struck me more than anything else in that whole Psalm was v. 1: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (NIV – emphasis mine).
The reason this verse got me fired-up that morning was two-fold.
First, I have really been feeling as I’ve prayed for this new year ahead, that God is telling me I need to “rest” in Him. I need to quit stressing and trying to figure out what to do, and instead just rest and wait for Him to open the doors.
Secondly, there was the word “shadow.” What is a shadow?
I love one of the definitions from Merriam-Webster: “An inseparable companion or follower.”
Think of that, my friends. Think of your Heavenly Father as an “inseparable companion” – because He is!
I started to reflect on just what shadows are. Your shadow can always be seen. Even if it’s pitch-black, all you have to do is turn on any sort of light, and poof your shadow appears.
Did you catch the word “light?” Just who is our “Light?”
Jesus answers this question in John 8:12 (NIV):
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
So what are you afraid of? What fears do you find yourself reflecting on – probably way too often? Remember to flick on the Light – your Father is standing right there next to you.
The God Of All Comfort 