“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” [Isa 41:10 NKJV]
I was walking around the church the other evening before Bible Study. It was dark outside, but the church itself was well lit inside. We have six windows in the sanctuary with horizontal blinds. I was walking and praying and as I did so I realized how easily it was for anyone outside to see me and know that I (an old woman) was all alone. A moment of fear rose in my heart. As I made my way around the sanctuary, I closed each blind and made sure all the doors were locked.
That morning I saw a headline about a pastor who was shot while opening his church. I would like to say I was just being cautious, making reasonable accommodations anyone might make. But I’d be fooling myself. This was fear. And it didn’t just go away when I closed the blinds and checked the doors.
I began to pray, asking God to surround the church with His heavenly hosts. I asked for His protection. As I did that, the fear receded.
Fear. It’s real; it’s always near us. It can rise when least expected. I had just been in the church praying the night before, blinds wide open, and was just fine. One day later, after seeing a news article, fear joined me as I walked the same path that I had the night before. “Fear not,” God reminds us, “for I am with you.”
Thank you, Father, for Your presence, Your strength, Your help. Thank you for taking the fear from my heart. Amen.
