Chapter One
Guidance Out of Nowhere When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
Psalm 56:3
A dear friend of mine who teaches elementary school
music got a timely reminder recently of how much
simpler life can be when God is in the picture. One Monday
afternoon she was feeling apprehensive about having
to change the date for a musical program on the
school calendar. It meant she had to face the principal,
ask for the change, and possibly have her request
rejected. As you may know, one can't just arbitrarily
switch the dates of the orchestra concert and the big basketball
game, for example. These events are determined
months in advance and are generally set in concrete!
As she busied herself in her classroom, she rehearsed
what she would say to the principal. The fear began to rise
in her so much that her anxiety was out of proportion to
her upcoming request. She had that "fretful" feeling.
While dusting off her desk, she swept a small scrap of
paper to the floor. When she picked it up, she was amazed
to read the words, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you."
She could hardly believe her eyes; it was just the encouragement
she needed to accomplish the task at hand.
She smiled to herself, took a deep breath, and walked
straight to the principal's office for her talk. Everything
worked out beautifully, and the date was changed on the
calendar with only minor adjustments.
Several days later, a little girl in one of her music
classes came up to her and whispered, "Mrs. Jacobs, have
you by any chance seen a piece of paper with the words,
'When I am afraid, I will trust in you' written on it?" My
friend told the child she had seen that paper and it was
at her desk.
"Is it yours, Rachel?" The child told her it was. Wanting
to make the most of the moment, my friend asked,
"Are you all right, honey? How did you happen to have
that piece of paper in the first place? Is there anything I
can help you with?"
Rachel confided, "Well, remember a few days ago
when we had to take all those tests? I was afraid I couldn't
pass, so my mom put that note in my lunch box that day,
and it really helped me. Then somehow I lost it."
My friend then explained how the child's loss was her
gain. She expressed that she too had feared something,
found the paper on the floor, and was reminded to face
and overcome that fear by trusting God. The very thing
that had calmed the heart of the little child was the same
thing that calmed the heart of the wise and mature
schoolteacher.
Fear is indiscriminate. It affects all of us regardless of
our age or position in life. Whether our fear is absolutely
realistic or out of proportion in our minds, our greatest
refuge is Jesus Christ.
You may wonder how to find that refuge. It is really
very simple: As you walk through your days, you
encounter various situations in life that trouble you. If
you're like me there are decisions that must be made that
seem bigger than I have the capacity to handle. Or there's
a relationship in my life that's out of whack and needs
attention. Perhaps it's a money problem or a doctor's
dreaded report that has me upset.
At times like these we can either quiver in our boots
and become paralyzed by that "deer caught in the headlights"
phenomenon; we can retreat completely, convincing
ourselves that the problem doesn't exist; or we
can talk to the One who is able to calm our apprehensions
and fears and give us courage to move ahead with
a heart of confidence and assurance. In other words, we
can pray.
There are times you might be so fearful that all you
can say is, "Lord, I'm scared. Please give me peace
because I'm placing my trust in you. I know you can
meet me right here. Please do!" And he will. He will enter
into your mind and calm you with his presence.
God wants us to know that he is with us; he is for us.
That's why he has given us this verse. Write it out on a
piece of paper today and tuck it in your purse as a
reminder that he is greater than your fear.
* * *
What a blessing it is, Lord, to know you are my
strength and my confidence. I am so glad I don't have
to depend on myself at this moment. Give me the comfort
I need from you to meet my fear head-on, knowing
full well that I am completely safe when I put my
trust in you. Amen.
(Continues.)
