“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear . . . .” “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:1-10).
Fear can be a great source of strength, an emotion that drives action — fight or flight, defend myself or retreat into a crushed self-esteem, protest what people do or refuse to have anything to do with them, argue and push buttons, panic and run away.
The psalmist associates quietness and a lack of panic with God as our hiding place and source of strength. Just as James says that “the anger of man cannot accomplish the righteousness of God”, I’m convinced that the fear of man cannot do that either. As the psalmist says, when the source of strength is God, I will not fear, but be still.
A few years ago a great trial put me in a place where there was no other refuge but God. Fear, fighting, fleeing, talking, arguing, protesting, reasoning — none of that would get me out of the trouble that sent my life into a tailspin. I remember sitting on my living room floor and hearing God speak to me. “I am here. No matter where you go, I am with you. I am your refuge and strength. Hide in me.”
The trial was unbearable, but the experience was precious. I know now that God is my hiding place, my safety zone, the place I can go and be at peace. Eventually He resolved the problem, yet I remember and treasure even more the fact that God is my strong tower. I can be still and know that He is God, that He is in total control of my life. Nothing can happen to me that does not know about or that is beyond His concern and ability to handle. God can fix anything, yet just being still because I know He is God, whether He fixes it or not, is far more profound.
Lessons are easily forgotten, even lessons as deep as that. Today I am going to keep a watch on my motives and take note if any speech or actions are rooted in fear. This could be a good day to practice being still.
2 comments:
This reminds me of Elijah trying to hear a word from God--and missing it in the hurricane, the earthquake and other such dramatic moments. But, in the stillness of a whisper, he could hear him then. I think of that often, during my own trials.
I find that my "knee jerk" reaction to intense situations (whether personal or otherwise) is driven out of fear. Fear can be so paralyzing. Thankyou for the reminder to walk by faith, and for the trip down memory lane to remember how God has worked in my struggles with fear.
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