Fear Not!

Fear cuts to the heart of every human soul.

Yet fear was the last thing from our minds that bright, sunny day when Dan and I decided to tour the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. We had driven to the city for a District Conference with our denomination, and, having arrived early, we drove up to the national park to tour and hike around. As we walked the pathways, standing below the gigantic monolithic red stones that peppered the park, we were in total awe of a God who could create such wonders. At one place, we noticed there was only one car in the parking lot. The red stone stood some ways away, so we parked and got out of the car. The other car was an older model sedan, parked near the entrance to the paved footpath that led below the parking lot to a covered picnic area.

Standing beside the car were four men. They did not look at us as we approached, yet their appearance and silent stance beside the car gave me the jitters. They were large, bearded, unkempt and menacing. Yet we were so taken with the experience of seeing the rock, and so intent upon getting closer to it, that we hurried on past them and started down the path. I glanced back once and saw one of them reaching into the car window for something, but he froze when he saw me look over my shoulder. The others were standing with arms crossed. They glared at us and I saw evil intent in their eyes.

There was a large rock at the turning of the path. A few more steps and we would have descended below the level of the parking lot, out of view from it and the highway. We stopped. To this day, I believe an angel stood there, hindering us from going forward, for there is no other reason why we should have halted.

I said, very low, “I think we should go back.”  Dan replied, “Yes, I think we should.”

The journey back up the path, past those men, and to our car was the most horrendous 200 yards I’ve ever taken. The man who had reaching for something inside the car removed his hand had straightened and all of them were staring at us. I truly thought they would attack us right then in broad daylight.

But they didn’t. Maybe the angel who stopped us accompanied us back to the car. The last few feet, we ran. I do not know what happened to those men, but the fear that gripped my heart followed me to the motel room into the night. At some point, I woke Dan and we prayed together against the enemy of our souls, and the fear dissipated.

Fear freezes, immobilizes, demoralizes and degrades. We’ve all felt it — that moment when the car is sliding off the icy road toward a deep gully. Or when a child screams from the back yard and you see a twisted branch beneath the fallen boy. It might be when a doctor calls you to his office, telling you to bring your spouse, and greets you with death in his eyes.

Yes. We all know about fear.

I am reminded of a time when my aunt and uncle, Phil and Gladys Salisbury, might have felt that same kind of piercing, unrelenting fear. They had left their home that morning in Nampa, Idaho to drive to Yakima for the funeral of one my other uncles, and on the way they stopped at a restaurant in Pendleton, WA for a cup of coffee. Being Gideons, they distributed some Bibles to the staff, and then resumed their journey. Gladys was driving as Phil was legally blind. He said he’d run out of New Testaments and Gladys bent down to look in the glove compartment. When she straightened and looked again at the road, she discovered she was driving on the shoulder with the cruise on at 65 mph! She sharply wrenched the wheel to the left, sending the car into a spin, and then flying across two lanes, into the median. Again she wrenched the wheel, this time to the right. It spun around and then headed (still going 65mph!) across the westbound lanes and directly down a steep, rocky bank to a body of water below.

As they hurtled off the highway, nose down into the ditch, Phil thought, “There’s going to be two funerals!” Gladys thought, “Oh, no! I’ve wrecked the car!” Both knew with certainty that they would die.

But they did not. When Phil opened his eyes, he realized they were sitting beside the road on the shoulder. The motor was purring away. He shook Gladys and said, “We’re okay, honey!” She opened her eyes and looked back. There was dust still in the air from where they’d spun out. She looked down and saw the car was in neutral! They bowed their heads and said thanks to God.

God’s Word says we should fear God and Him alone. When we fear God, we will fear nothing else

Fear for God involves trust, obedience, reverence and awe. Consider this verse, “Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not look anxiously about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.” Isaiah  41:10 NASV

Instead of allowing fear to manipulate you today, turn to God in simple trust. Never forget His angels are around you, helping and protecting you. When you put aside worry, you will find absolute peace of heart and mind. God gives us some incredible peaceful moments in our lives. These pictures show Dan and me on a boat on Lake Roosevelt recently with some dear friends. Isn’t He wonderful to provide us with these times of joy?

Trust Him today. DO NOT FEAR!