My parents have a German Shepherd named Gabe that is absolutely petrified of thunderstorms. Recently when dog-sitting for them, I found myself cradling him while lying on the floor of a closet. I’ve never seen a dog shake so badly in all my life. The fear is irrational of course. No matter how loud the thunder, it can never injure Gabe. No matter how hard it rains, the water cannot reach into the upstairs closet where Gabe is trying to seek comfort. Even if the winds begin to howl and rattle the house, my arms are wrapped around him, protecting him against whatever will come. Despite all of this Gabe still shakes uncontrollably. It reminded me of how fearful we tend to be despite having the arms of the all powerful God wrapped around us.
We spend so much of our lives afraid. We’re afraid of losing our jobs, our homes, or even something as trivial as our reputation. We’re afraid of being persecuted or even killed for the name of Jesus. How else do you explain why so many who profess to follow Christ do everything they can to keep everyone else from finding out? God is more powerful than any obstacle we could ever encounter. He’s stronger than any wound we might endure. He is always there, always helping and holding us. Yet still we are afraid.
Just like Gabe huddles in a closet, we spend our lives unaware that there is nothing out there that can hurt us. God is able to protect us no matter what the trial. As Paul said in Philippians 4:13, we can do all things through Christ. Jesus stated that we would do greater things than even He did while He was on earth (John 14:12). So we have all the power of God behind us, yet we live our lives in such fear. Although we truly are victors (Romans 8:37), we live in defeat. Through Christ, we have overcome everything the world will ever throw at us (John 16:33). Instead of cowering in our closets, we need to go out into the world and run. We need to live loud, large, and unafraid. There is no fear in love, and the purest of all love lives inside of those who make Jesus their Lord.
What is it that causes you to tremble? What makes you fearful? Feel the arms of Jesus wrapped around you, holding you and bringing comfort in the midst of the storm. If we belong to Him, we have nothing to fear. As children of God, all fear is irrational. Our eternity is secure in Him. It’s time to let go of our fears. It’s time to let His love flow from us into the world. Don’t let the noise, the lights, and the waves of the world distract you. With God as your shelter, let go of your irrational fears and head out into the storm. A world in need is waiting.