Covered and Fearless
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
Devotional Thought: Like many others, I was afraid of the dark as a child. Because of the fear that gripped me through the night, I often went sleepless. The only comfort I found was hiding under my superhero-themed covers, which usually felt like a suffocating attempt to find peace and rest. However, as I got older, I learned that it was not darkness itself I feared; instead, it was the unseen things I imagined might be lurking in the darkness. As adults, we are not far removed from this fear of the unseen and unknown as we'd like to think.
It's no longer fear of what we can't see in the dark; it's fear of what we can't see in the future. Unfortunately, hiding under the superhero-themed covers doesn't silence the voice of fear that plagues our minds and robs us of rest. Fear asks, "Will I be good enough for tomorrow?" “Can I handle the unexpected change?" “Can I thrive under overwhelming pressure?” "Am I strong enough to lift the weighty responsibility?" and more. I've noticed that fear’s consistent line of questions causes us to look inward.
Meanwhile, God's remedy for fear is not to look inward but upward. An upward perspective reminds us of God's presence in our lives in every situation, providing us with strength, help, and guidance. In every challenging season and against every enemy throughout Israel's history, God's presence was always strong enough to deliver, sufficient to provide, and faithful enough to guide them by his righteous right hand. In fact, they were only victorious when they stopped looking inward at their capabilities and began trusting God's. When God becomes our “superhero-themed” covering, we need not fear what might lurk in our future because His powerful presence makes us fearless and victorious.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for giving me strength, help, and guidance. Help me find peace by looking upward and noticing Your powerful presence in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Follow-Up Activity: In your journal or on a piece of paper, Write out your inward thoughts of fear and anxiety. When you finish, write out upward thoughts about how God’s powerful presence can make a difference in your life.
