Being the cool customer that I was at 14, I was not going to be affected by some silly scary movie. So, I started my walk home very deliberately. By the half-block mark I was increasing my pace ever so slightly. By the one-block mark I was jogging. By the two-block mark I was utilizing every bit of my 4.7 speed. Though I think I ran a legitimate 4.3 on the last 40. We lived in a duplex that was top and bottom verses side by side and we lived in the top apartment. As I made it to our stairs the light bulb was out (queue the music) so I ran up the stairs in complete darkness only to find the door locked. My pleas for someone to open the door could be heard a block away, which is where I left the Bogie Creek Monster (who runs a little slower 40 than me). With my heart about to burst out of my chest I realized that I was afraid. Duh!
How about you? Ever been really afraid? I am not necessarily talking about scary-movie afraid. I am more referring to grown up dealing with life afraid. The economy is going to hell in a hand basket and there are a lot of people who have, who will and who might lose their jobs. For some of us, bankruptcy is a real possibility. I keep kidding with my wife that the worst that can happen to us is that we lose everything and we can live under a bridge, but at least we will be together. I don’t think she is amused. But honestly it is scary out there. Maybe your fear is social: you are afraid of losing someone you love. Maybe your fear is spiritual: you are not right with God and don’t know how to change that. Maybe your fear is character related: you look inside and don’t like what you see and even scarier is that people around you are beginning to find out who you really are. You might be afraid for your children: they are headed down a path that is going to be ugly for them but they won’t listen to you. Whatever your fear you are not alone. Let me share with you some of my favorite verses that help me in times like these.
Let me take an aside here. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me related to the Bible. I throw it around alot in my writing. I am definitely no super saint. In fact I am probably a super sinner. But, over the years I have found tremendous comfort in God’s word. The wisdom I lack, it provides. The direction I need, it speaks to. Over and over I have found courage and solace in the counsel of the Scripture. I really don’t think I have a lot to offer when it comes to wisdom, but the Bible does. It has shaped my thinking a lot and to not include it in my writing is plagiaristic. So I include it. I hope that doesn’t make me a Bible thumper (though it does thump me all the time). I just want to be honest about where a lot of my ideas genesis.
Here are some of my favorite verses on fear. Enjoy!
Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)- ‘Do not afear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely bI will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous cright hand.’
Isaiah 26:3 (NASB)- “The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect apeace, Because he trusts in Thee.
Prov 3:5,6 (NIV)- 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight
Matthew 6:25-34(NIV) – 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add
a single hour to his life a?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Philippians 4:6,7(NIV) – 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-30(NIV) – 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Life and times of the howitzers 