“The eternal God is our hiding place; he carries us in his arms. When God tells you
to destroy your enemies, he will make them run.” (Deuteronomy 33:27 Contemporary English Version)
A loving father and his three-year old daughter take a trip to a pumpkin patch in the Fall season. Aside from being able to pick a pumpkin, you could roast hot dogs at one of many fire pits, and you could go on hayrides. There was also a haunted house, constructed like a maze, full of fake scary figures and sounds intended to frighten you. The daughter asked the father if they could go through the haunted house. The father says, “Are you sure you won’t be too scared.” The toddler-age daughter, expressing confidence as if she is much older, says, “I can handle it! That ain’t nothing!” The father concedes and they enter the haunted house. The daughter walks ahead, leading the way with certainty and boldness, in regard to her ability to “handle it.”. Why shouldn’t she? Afterall, she had just said she could handle it. The father is close behind. You know he was not going to leave her alone. After only taking a few steps, a fake, scary figure jumps out. The daughter screams and comes running back in fear and jumps straight into her father’s arms. Her fear could be measured by the force in which she jumped, apparently assured that the father would catch her. They make it through the haunted house. The father’s neck and back are somewhat strained from the daughter’s grip to ensure her safety. As soon as they exit the haunted house, the daughter says, “That wasn’t nothing.” The father, laughingly and sarcastically says, “Do you want to do it again, this time by yourself? You can handle it right?” The daughter declines the invitation. Surely, she must have been thinking twice and thought, “I’m not going through that by myself.” As a matter of fact, she was ready to go home.
As we go through life, we will encounter a lot of real things that will present a challenge for us. We will face some obstacles, such as health issues to be overcome, issues that may honestly stir up some fear. In this life, some unexpected things will jump out at us; things some of our friends have been through and had us thinking, unlike your friends whose anxieties and fears were obvious, “I can handle it?” However, when faced with the unexpected and overconfidence in yourself, much like the toddler in the account above, you had to think twice. Most likely you turned to the Father, God Almighty, to find safety, security, and serenity in His everlasting arms. Thank God that He is a very present help in times of trouble! Praise the Lord that He is our hiding place! Glory to God for His faithfulness in helping conquer our fears and our enemies! Bless the Lord for He will not ever leave us or forsake us!
My advice to you is as follows! Don’t wait until life gets scary; don’t wait until something comes up that you know right away that you cannot handle it alone or go through by yourself. No! This is what you do! Follow this advice, really now, found in the closing verse that you quote so often. I hope you take the advice and, on top of that, I hope you find your way into the house of the Lord tomorrow. Continue to build your relationship with Him! Go and see what specific message He will relate to you that will prepare you for what lies ahead in your life. Remember with you depending on the Lord, there is nothing that you and Him cannot handle together. Have a great day! Be blessed!
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King