But I'm also thankful--thankful to be inside and dry. Thankful to have electricity. Thankful for the warmth and comfort of a mug of tea. Thankful for a contented companion lying at my feet. And thankful for the gift of holding in my lap the very words of Almighty God . His words breathed out on a page, just as fresh and warm and nourishing as the moment He first uttered them into life. Thank You, Father, for the treasure of family, friends, home, health, quietness, and the time--even if only a few minutes--to hear You, worship You, thank You, and speak to You.
And I'm also remembering the beauty of Your mountains--what a Creator You are!--and a simple lesson on fear that You taught us this weekend. (Because only the Lord knows how He constantly He needs to remind and encourage yours truly--His forgetful, fretful, often faithless child-- of His forever faithfulness, grace, and abounding sufficiency!)
You see, our dog, Bingley loves the mountains. He loves the wonderful walks along deserted mountain roads. He loves the ready availability of huge sticks.
He loves the magnificent view from the 17th hole green...okay, actually he just loves getting to walk along with all of his family on the golf course.
He loves the cooler weather, the abundance of deer to chase, and the tennis balls that often bounce into our yard from the nearby tennis courts. He really does love the mountains.
But there's one thing that spoils what would otherwise be unadulterated joy on his part--fear. Specifically, fear that we will pack up and leave him. Bingley's pretty much continually on edge in the mountains and whenever any sort of bag is located anywhere near the door, his fear gage begins rising. Whenever we leave to go anywhere without taking him--oh mercy, terror. And when it's actually time to pack up and leave, well, forget about it. He's beside himself, ready to race into the car and sit there all day if that's what it takes to avoid being left behind. He's a ball of anxiety.
It's pathetic, really, because do you think for one single second we'd ever "forget" to take Bingley with us when we leave to drive home? Have we ever forgotten to take him back with us? Of course not! We've never forgotten him, nor have we ever left him. Our track record on that is spotless--because we really love our dog! I can say with one hundred percent confidence that we will never ever forget to take him!
Moreover, we feed him everyday, twice a day. Never forgotten, not even once. We take him for a walk everyday--rain or shine, blazing hot or freezing cold. Never forgotten, not even once. We give him those fancy smancy sweet potato dog chews everyday...I could go on and on.
The point is, Bingley has nothing to fear, and he has every reason in the world for complete faith and trust in his people. But he doesn't. I reckon that's because he doesn't remember--or somehow in his doggy brain discounts--all of our never failing faithfulness in the past.
Hmmm. Sound familiar?
Isn't our fear ultimately a mark of our forgetfulness?
We're filled with fear because we've forgotten (or utterly discounted) God's relentless goodness and faithfulness to us in the past. We forget--or we choose not to recall--how He strengthened and helped us through all those impossible-seeming challenges or sorrows we faced last year, or last month, or last week. We forget who He is and His character. We forget that He was and is always good, always loving, always forgiving, always full of grace--even when we were and are utterly undeserving and unlovable. We forget His Word and His promises.
And what's the antidote to this irrational, amnesiac fear? It's to read, remember, and rehearse. Read His Word and His promises. His Word is a treasure trove of wisdom and strength. A few examples from just one Psalm: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps.27:1) "Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear, though war arise against me, yet I will be confident." (Ps.27:3) "I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" (Ps.27:13-14)
Read His Word and His promises. Remember His character, His faithfulness, His deliverances, and His goodness to you in the past. And rehearse those promises--say them out loud. Share with someone else how God delivered you in the past. Perhaps most importantly, preach it to yourself! Rather than allowing fear to do the talking, you do the preaching to yourself. Remind yourself of God's Word, His faithfulness, His goodness.
He hasn't failed you yet...why on earth do you think He will fail you this time? He was faithful then...whey would you fear that He who is changeless and perfect, won't be faithful today...and tomorrow and next year? He's never forsaken you or forgotten you before...don't you realize He will never forsake or forget you in the future?
If you ever doubt that, look at the cross. Look at the lengths to which your Heavenly Father went to save you and to demonstrate His love. He sent His beloved Son to die for your sins and rise from the dead to give you eternal life. He promised that He would never ever leave you or forsake you. It's a promise signed with His blood. He hasn't changed, and His Word is still true.
So fear, take a hike! You're just as useless and ridiculous as Bingley's absurd fear of being left. Fear, you're not welcome or wanted here anymore, because we have a forever faithful, eternally good, infinitely wise, and awesomely powerful Lord. We will trust in Him and not be afraid.
Don't forget and be fearful. Instead, read...remember...rehearse and be filled and fueled with faith in the your Heavenly Father.
To God--the forever faithful One--be all the glory.
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