Scared

On one of my hunting adventures out west, I was exploring a new area looking for signs and generally scoping out the trail.

One thing I did learn was that it was generally easier to get into the bush than it was to get out!

I was walking down a forestry road, which is a path cleared through the bush wide enough for a vehicle to travel. The thing you need to remember, dear reader, is that you are most likely to meet a bear, a moose, a wolf or perhaps something else on a road like this. After all, most animals are lazy and will walk an easy route rather than blaze a trail in the woods.

As I was walking, I could see fresh moose sign and some unmistakable wolf tracks! I continued my trek, watching and listening. After a while, I heard a low growling sound.

It surprised me at first, but I kept a wary eye on either side of the trail. The pine trees that stood sentry along the trail were dark, and I couldn’t see very far. There I was, alone and walking down a strange path, and I heard growling sounds. I stopped listening, and finally, I realized the source… my stomach! I had allowed my senses to play tricks on me.

If you will forgive my embarrassment, fear is a master manipulator. It is most effective when it creates an irrational response, paralyzing us. Many times while in the bush, a shape, or a noise, can set the mind on alert, expecting to see something that is not there.

It has been said that fear is practical atheism. There is a lot to that statement. The believer has confidence in God for all his needs. But there are times when fear takes over.

Remember when the disciples were in a boat, and a storm suddenly threatened to engulf them? Jesus said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you no faith?” (Mark 4:40) The disciples still didn’t realize the power Jesus had over creation and, therefore, their wellbeing.

Timothy was an interesting character study. Paul, at one point, wrote in a letter, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2Tim. 1:7). When Joshua was given the daunting task of leading a recalcitrant people to the promised land, God said to him, “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9)

There are so many references to fear in the Bible. Many are in connection with God’s direct involvement. Some are from being in self-imposed trouble. But the message is always the same; we need not fear when we are in God’s hands.

While I laugh now at the situation that I was in, there are many times when fear has affected my life. The enemy of our souls knows this and will try and rob us of the joy of knowing God.

Read through the Psalms and highlight the verses that talk about fear:

Above all, don’t venture into the bush on an empty stomach!