October is my favorite month. The light and leaves paint a picture I could look at forever. You step outside, and the whole world smells like a big cup of tea.
Life though, is not so picturesque as the light and leaves, is it? Sometimes I struggle to write these posts because the photos and tidbits we choose to share online can never fully capture what’s going on in our hearts and lives behind the scenes.
We cherry-pick the highlights we want to share, and the end result can be much like an October day — breathtaking, but fleeting — the smallest inkling of a much broader reality.
My daughter has been asking me lately if I’ll read her a story from the Bible at bedtime. Can I admit that I often struggle to take the time? I’m tired, and I want my kids to go to sleep so I can unwind and be done for the night too. It’s interesting though, how God moves in our grownup hearts through the little hearts he’s placed in our hands.
Each night, after some resistance on my part to take the time, I read the requested stories.
First, she asked me to read to her about the Israelites crossing the Red Sea on dry ground.
Then, about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
And finally last night, about Mary when she found out she was going to have Jesus.
The Israelites cross the Red Sea, and we’re told:
But Moses told the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today.
Exodus 14:13-14 NLT
…
The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.’
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego face the ultimate test of their faith, and we’re told:
But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisors, ‘Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,’ they replied. ‘Look!’ Nebuchadnezzar shouted. ‘I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!’
Daniel 3:24-25 NLT
And finally, Joseph believes God and we’re told:
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
Matthew 1:18-21 NLT
As he considered this, an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son Of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’
Each passage my daughter requested circles back to a common theme: Faith vs. Fear.
I’m afraid about some things right now. My stomach is in knots, and my sleep is punctured by worry. And yet each night as I’ve tucked my children into bed with our usual songs and prayers, God has used my daughter to nudge me toward his words — words about fear — words about faith in the face of fear.
The Israelites were told to step out and cross the Red Sea. Don’t be afraid. God will fight for you.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are told not to worship a false god, even if it cost them everything. God stands in the midst of them, protecting them.
Joseph is asked to give up his reputation and take Mary as his wife. Do not to be afraid even if no one else understands or believes you.
This morning as I pondered each of these accounts, my gut response was, “But I am afraid.” And also, I don’t really care to face these scary things in the first place. I want a smooth, predictable path — not a scary, faith-filled one. I want God to fix everything and take all the hard stuff away as answers to prayer.
But God doesn’t often work like that. He’s far more interested in a faith-filled relationship with us than he is in our temporary comfort.
So, we are asked to face hard things. Giants loom and we are afraid. But if I’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that you can keep moving forward even when you’re afraid. We can do hard things, and we can do them scared. And through it all, God promises he’ll be with us — on the uncertain path, in the furnace, and when no one else understands what we’re doing in the first place.
Faith and fear — they almost always go hand in hand. But God goes with us too, so we can take the next step — even when we’re scared.