"The LORD is my Light and my Salvation -- whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?"
Psalm 27:1
The first time I saw the early Star Wars trilogy on the big screen, the villain, Darth Vader seemed pretty intimidating, tall, dark, and invincible. I didn't want Luke to remove Daddy Darth's hard helmet for fear of what hideous creature must surely lay beneath the mask (I was 16). But, there lay Darth exposed in the sickly, white face of a dying man under that hard, heavy helmet. A man? No alien or monster? Just a man, but man, he had me fooled.
One day a couple of weeks ago, Dr. Phil counseled a woman about my age who confessed her paralyzing fear of being in her home alone. This poor woman was especially afraid to take a shower when she was alone in the house due to hearing about the movie Psycho as a child (She was too frightened to ever actually see it.). She had "psyched" herself into fearing what's not there.
Your haunting issues and mine may be light-years apart, but fear, no matter what mask it wears, can own us if we don't learn to de-mask it for what it is. Most often we find behind the mask someone more frightened than we are but who has learned to breathe heavily in an intimidating way, to growl and gripe, puff out feathers, strut confidently, bluff, bluster and bully to use our fears and insecurities against us. Sometimes there's nothing at all behind the mask (or on the other side of the shower curtain) but we've psyched ourselves into fearing what we imagine is there.
God knows how fearful our hearts can grow over the least suggestion. We're vulnerable to every imagination without Him but evil can't touch us when we fix our eyes on Him.
"Those who know Your Name will trust in You,
for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You."
Psalm 9:10
Haunted or shamed by past regrets and costly mistakes? Unmask the fear for what it is:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28
Afraid to face the masked villains and Goliaths in our lives today? Stand them next to God and shrink them down to size:
"What, then shall we say in response to this?
If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 8:31
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:18
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . .
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us."
Romans 8:37
Fearful about the future? Picture God, our Mighty Warrior, covering us with His shield as He slays the enemies who try to come between us and Him:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me."
John 14:1
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39
Dear Father, fear is a thief who holds for ransom all the good You give us. Our quality of life and our testimonies suffer when fear controls us. Free us, Lord, from harmful imaginations. Free us to picture You with us as we face the masked giants who keep us from enjoying abundant life. May we fall to our knees before You instead of buckling to fear. Fill us with Your Power and Grace under fire. Guard our spirits and guide the eyes of our hearts to lock in on You, the only Ally we need, for every pitched battle against our unseen enemy. We seek You; we trust You; we love You. Conquer through us and keep us from being our own worst nightmares!
In the Name of Jesus, Courageous yet Humble Savior
Inspired by Live Loved by Max Lucado
photo from the family album (no, wait - it's compliments of photobucket.com)
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