So this time of year, there is so much to fear. When thinking about the little baby Savior, my mind often wanders to those who may never know HIM, my loved ones who refuse to awknowledge HIM. That scares me. I love the beautiful and pure snow, but it scares me to be out on the roads. I am giving a sermon on Sunday and I have to admit, I am not scared of speaking in front of people, I am afraid of not listening to HIM. The new year is coming, a chance to begin again, yet we are not certain that we are going to see another year. So much could happen. So many uncertainties. So much to fear for a person like me who loves to have control.
I have always been fascinated with the story of Mary. There she was, a young teenageer with no husband, she probably had all sorts of plans for who she wanted to become, she was in no way ready or expecting to be expecting. Yet an angel appears and tells her that she is not only pregnant, but with the Son of God. I am sure after the utter shock wore off that her mind began racing to all the uncertainities; what was going to happen to her and Joseph, where they were going to live, how she was going to raise the Savior of the world, how she was going to afford to have a child... I am sure she began freaking out.
There were probably times when she prayed to God to pick a different person, someone more "equiped" to bring His Son into the world. There is no doubt that she doubted her capabilities, forgetting that with God, ALL things are possible. Sometimes, it is difficult for me to remember that Mary probably had these freak out moments and wasn't perfectly peaceful though she was bringing Perfect Peace into the world.
My pastor said something on Sunday that has kept me thinking...."Where fear is, peace can not be." I desperately want peace, I want the peace that I always see Mary as having. In order to get that peace, I have to pray that God take all the fear out of my life. I have to hand HIM control of everything. I need to seek HIS truth, to trust in HIS promise, to obey HIS commands and to LOVE....have to surrender my fear to Him. That doesn't mean I am going to be completely unworried about anything...I will just go running into HIS arms, letting HIM wipe my tears.
I will become the little child who, after being put to bed, screams from their bed to their daddy to come in quick. They are too scared to move from their bed...blankets pulled up over their head. They are sure there is something under their bed, out their window or in the closet....and they are not about ready to face it. Daddy comes in, turns on the light so that everything goes back to normal. After the child is still wimpering, He opens the closet and pulls up the bed skirt, slides back the curtain just to prove that there is nothing. He would never let something harm the child. He is their protection. Most little kids won't go on to question that...daddy can safely walk out the door, leaving it cracked for a little light to shine in and the child will go safely to sleep.
My heavenly Daddy will never let the monsters get me, I just have to trust HIM. I need to be at peace with HIS protection, letting HIM wipe my fear away.
Praying a Peaceful CHRISTmas Season to all of my readers,
<3 D
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
ReplyDeleteI think too often we lump all fears together. Including the fear of God. God is sovereign and thus should be feared. As any parent-child relationship should have a healthy dose of discipline, believers should fear God. The fear of the Lord can save us from a lot. It ultimately leads to love.
In agreement with you, Danielle, in 1 TImothy 2 he says: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." That fear is most certainly from Satan and we should not let him hold that power over us.
Thank you for being so open and sharing! :)