“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).
Devon woke up with a start and sat up straight in his bed. His room was pitch black. In his mind, he could still see the dark forest and the mean-looking dogs that had been chasing him in his nightmare. He looked across the room toward the window. Were they out there, outside in the back yard? What if there really were mean, wild dogs out there waiting for him under his bedroom window?
He thought about calling for his mom to come in and sit with him. Or maybe he could catch Grandpa in the kitchen again, munching on a midnight snack. Maybe Grandpa would make him a jam sandwich and tell him stories about the Navy. Devon looked at the crack under the door. It was dark in the hallway, and he really did not want to go out there by himself. Deep down, Devon also knew that Mom needed to get up early for work in the morning. It would probably be better not to bother her. He lay back down and glanced toward the window again. Was that a twig snapping outside? Was something moving around in the bushes out there? Oh! What could he do?
Then Devon remembered that his Sunday School teacher had talked about different kinds of fear. Mr. Rooks was tall and had huge muscles, but even he admitted that sometimes he felt afraid of things. He shared with the class a verse, something about trusting in God in the times he was afraid. It was hard for Devon to imagine someone as big and strong as Mr. Rooks being afraid of anything. But if Mr. Rooks found comfort and courage in trusting God, Devon thought, surely he could too.
A light came on in the hallway, just then, and Devon could hear Grandpa’s heavy footsteps on the stairwell. “Hmm. I think maybe I’ll just talk to God about this nightmare tonight,” he said to himself. And so he did.
Has your mind ever been so busy with worries and heavy thoughts that you cannot get to sleep at night? Have you ever been so afraid that you didn’t know what to do? Have you ever wondered if anyone could really help you with your fears? Devon had that problem, and you probably have felt that way too. The Bible teaches that we can go to God when we are fearful. In fact, it teaches us that God is really the only One Who truly can help us deal with fear.
Psalm 4:8 says that the Lord is the only One Who can give true safety and protection. The Lord is the only One who is all-powerful and all-knowing; and He loves His children! More than anyone else you know, God is worthy of your trust when you feel frightened. Talk to Him about your fears. Trust Him for comfort and courage.
God is the greatest protector; He is worthy of trust when we feel afraid.
My response:
» Do I always feel afraid about some things?
» Do I go to God for comfort and courage, or do I trust in myself and other humans?
» How can I show that I believe God is a great protector?