FEARLESS
Kimberly Lawrence
Today’s Scripture:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4, ESV
Theme: We can be fearless – no matter what comes - because God is with us.
FACING DEATH
Have you ever had what you considered to be a near-death experience? I have, and I remember the feeling like it was yesterday. Just a few years ago, my family took the “trip of a lifetime” to Alaska. The scheduled flight home was a non-stop, red-eye flight from Anchorage to Atlanta. A couple of hours in, a quiet and dark plane full of people awoke to one of the engines on the massive aircraft ablaze. As I looked out the window nearest me, I could see bright orange flames lighting up the black sky. Debris from melting parts off the engine were being thrown back, into the side of the plane. Within seconds, I went from a calm and quiet rest to near panic as flight attendants went into emergency mode to assess the problem and report to the pilots.
In short order, it was determined we needed to make an emergency landing in Seattle. As the plane seemed to lumber lazily in the sky on only one engine, thoughts about the outcome of this scenario raced through my mind. Would we somehow spin out of control and crash? How long would it take before it was “over”? If I were injured, how could I help my children? If this ended in tragedy, would my parents wonder if I was scared or if I experienced pain? Let me tell you, you may not have been a “pray out loud” kind of person before this, but I assure you that you would have been during it!
FEARFUL
The fear was crippling. I was totally and utterly helpless. There was absolutely nothing I could do but sit there and wait. As the plane made a rapid, turbulent descent to our newly identified destination, I grabbed the hands of my family and prayed out loud. It was about as basic as a prayer could get. I didn’t have time for flowery words, nor did I have time to wonder if those around me would think I was any good at praying. “God, save my family and every person on this plane.” It was desperate and filled with fear, but I put the crisis and the terror in the hands of the only One who could take it from me.
IN HIS HANDS
Since I am writing this devotion, you can surmise the outcome was favorable. As I sat there, approaching the airport and seeing dozens of ambulances, firetrucks and emergency vehicles, I distinctly remember that the calm, quiet aircraft made the smoothest landing of any flight I had ever been on. I barely felt the tires hit the runway. In my mind, I felt like God was holding that plane and gingerly setting it down, as if to say, “I heard you”.
There are few life experiences that change you forever. This was mine. Throughout the Bible, God reveals His presence in the most fearful of times. He asks His followers to trust in Him and promises that He will provide a way. In the circumstances that seem the darkest and most dire, He is always there, urging us to trust Him to see us through. He will stand in the fire (Daniel 3); He will calm the storm (Matthew 8, Mark 4, Luke 8); He will deliver us from our enemies (1 Samuel, Daniel 6); and He will provide for our every need (Matthew 6).
Make It Personal: I believe that our most sincere prayers come in times of distress. There are no filters. There is no hesitation. If there is something in your life which has you feeling desperate, fearful, or hopeless, turn it over to God. He will provide you comfort, and He will make a way. You can be fearless in His strength, not your own. Make your prayer simple and to the point.
Pray: God, calm my fear and provide Your perfect way for me. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen
Read: Genesis 39:19-21, Daniel 3:16-18, Isaiah 43:2-4
Weekly Memory Verse: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8, ESV