Years ago, my employer, in speaking of his wife, said, “I don’t think she’s afraid of the devil himself.” I knew this woman. Little rattled her cage. She was a tiny thing. Pretty as a picture. She spoke with a demure voice. But if she thought something was coming after those she loved . . . watch out! Her shoulders would square and she’d fight head-on. No fear, this woman.
I believe, despite that story, that we all have something we are afraid of. Spiders, perhaps. Snakes. The dark. Death, whether our own or those we love. Losing a job, a house, a friend. Fire. Leaving the house. COVID.
The list goes on.
But nowhere on that list do we see little tick boxes intended for God to use as a check off. “Yep, I can handle that one . . . and that one . . . and that one . . . NOPE! Not that one . . . way outside of my ability to handle.”
Fear can cripple us, but it cannot cripple God. The One who faced down death at the hand of first century Romans ony to walk out of His borrowed grave can surely handle whatever I’m facing.
But what does that require of us?
Okay, right now I’m not speaking of spiders and snakes. I’m talking about those things that truly keep us up at night. Those things we cannot let go of. Or, so we think.
Because as long as we hold on, God cannot grab hold of the fear so as to toss it aside and wrap His powerful arms around His child.
Think of the source of your fear as a large box that you hold in your arms. Whatever is inside of that box is heavy and it weighs your arms down. Your chest and your heart strain against the weight. But, directly in front of you stands Jesus, arms stretched toward you. “Give it to me,” He says, His hands ready to grab hold of the box as soon as you let go.
“Can you just hold me?” you ask Him.
Even if He tries to comply with your wish, there is this box between you. Holding someone who is holding a large box is difficult if not impossible.
“Just let go of the box,” He says.
And you finally do. Because the stress and strain of holding that thing is just too much. Then you watch in wonder as He chunks the box and all its contents over His broad shoulder. With a smile, He turns back to you and says, “Now then . . .”
And He has you. You are safe. Nothing can harm you here. Nothing can take away what He has so freely given.
Rest in that.
Thank you for this blog. Fear is responsible for crippling so many. I read somewhere, long ago – can’t remember where – that fear is the notion that God’s love ends. That has saved me from fear on many occasions because I know His love never ends!
Thank YOU for your response. It means a lot more than I could possibly say.
EME
Love the illustration with the box!
Thank you, Taryn. It just came to me. Maybe because I have so many boxes in my office right now! LOL
Dear Eva Marie, thank you for this blog. I have battled fear for much of my life. God delivers me, and then suddenly it seems that fear creeps in again–often disguised as something else like concern or thinking, which turns into overthinking and then obsessing. I especially like your last two paragraphs. I choose to receive those truths. God bless you in 2022.
God bless you, too!
What a powerful illustration of fear and how holding on to it comes between us and Christ helping us. I’ll remember this picture because you painted it well.
Thank you!
Such a beautiful message of God’s tender and loving care for us. And a reminder that we must release all those burdens–our fears, our bondage, our resistance to Jesus. Thank you, Eva.
You’re welcome!