Don't Be Afraid
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“So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.” Isaiah 41:10
I was just finishing my last lap on my morning run, and I heard a noise of breaking branches in the wooded area beside the street where I was running. Out jumped a fawn who almost stepped on my foot! I jumped and screamed, and the small deer darted across the street into another wooded area. We scared each other, and after settling my heart down, I smiled and thanked God for the gift of His creation and the closeness of the deer. But it took awhile to release the adrenaline the scare created in me. The little deer was so afraid it just ran.
Two mornings later, the doe – I assume the momma of the fawn – was about twenty feet in front of me in the parking lot where I ran. She was just strolling across the lot. I spoke to her, “Good morning, buddy.” She turned and looked at me and just slowly walked into the grass and tree area around the lot. She was not afraid of me nor was I afraid of her. I think she was used to seeing me.
It was two encounters with deer and two different reactions. One was unexpected which scared both of us, and the other I had preparation. We had seen each other at a distance, and we have had previous encounters on my morning runs. I felt safe. It was just like nature knew me and I knew nature, and all was fine.
I believe God can speak through His creation and give to us insights for our lives in relation to fear. When something unexpected happens, we react usually with some type of fear. Our bodies may jump or freeze from being startled by the fear. The fright may cause us to become numb or tense. We may fear being harmed physically or hurt; therefore, we go into a protective mode. We may react with a fight mentality and jump in trying to figure out what is going on. Sometimes, we just run away as fast as we can and ignore that anything happened. This is what the fawn did. This behavior can influence future situations that cause the same emotional feeling. Fear can control us and prevent us from living and enjoying life in the present. Fears can be healthy to make us aware of dangerous situations, too.
When we encounter something different in life like a deer on our path, we can slow down our thoughts and recognize that fear does not need to be in control. Yes, this world is filled with situations that create fear. It is a scary place. Our thoughts can also create stories that heighten the fear factor. Worry feeds the fear. Not all situations that at first heighten our fear reaction are really fearful.
Unexpected situations will happen in life – like a deer running in front of you. Who are you depending on to hold you up through it and give you strength and help you through the unexpected? Fear and worry will not give you any help or strength. They just make it more intense. God promises to give us strength and help us and support us with His right hand. His right hand is His constant presence. But before God does anything, God speaks to us, “Don’t be afraid.” God wants us to know He already has us and the situation, so don’t worry. That may seem impossible for you to believe or experience since you may worry about everything. Worry and being afraid and anxious seems as natural to you as breathing.
I am learning that worry and anxiety come when I take my focus off God’s Presence and rely on my own strength. I am not allowing God to help me and be my person and give me constant strength. I am allowing fear and worry to be in control, not God. Yes, this world is filled with scary and harmful things, but sometimes we react and internalize things that are just a natural part of life – like an innocent fawn running across your path.
When I get afraid and worry, I remember Jesus’ words to His Disciples – “Don’t be afraid.” Throughout scripture, this is God’s word or the word of his messengers to holy encounters, “Do not be afraid.” This is a reminder to me and hopefully to you, God knows we will be afraid and anxious, and God comes to us in the midst of the worry and fear. God wants us to trust Him and put our focus not on the fear but upon Him. It is not living in the fear but living in the presence of God. God’s got you!
Do not be afraid!
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