Recently I ventured out for my weekly grocery trip. As I begin to walk down the main aisle in the store, a woman with her gloves, mask, and Clorox wipes hanging from her purse sees me. With crippling fear in her eyes, she scoots as far over as she can. While we were already more than the recommended six feet apart, her fear drove her to need more space.
Here in the Midwest, we are in what we call tornado season. After being caught in a tornado 17 years ago, I always feel very fearful around this time of year. The watches have me checking the weather and the sky. I can mostly handle the watches. The warnings, however, send fear down my spine. And the sirens, even the test sirens, send me into panic.
God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.
Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,
though its water roars and foams
and the mountains quake with its turmoil.
Psalm 46:1-3
It is so easy to let fear creep in. When it gets in, it tries to take root and grow. In these times we need to remember these verses in Psalm 46. We need to remember Who our refuge and strength is. We need to remember that we have no reason to be afraid of anything. God is our refuge. He is our strength. And He is in control.
Whatever you are facing today, whether the pandemic going on right now or health issues or financial issues or broken relationships or whatever it may be, remember that God is your refuge and your strength. Lean on Him. Curl up under His wing and take shelter.
I want to challenge you to memorize Psalm 46:1-3. When fear begins to rise in your chest, say the verses until the fear is gone. Remind your head, your heart, and your enemy Who your refuge and strength is.
It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.
I've always been in awe of these verses--that even though the earth trembles and mountains topple, we don't need to fear, because God is our refuge, strength, and helper.
ReplyDeleteI wrote this week about the fact that God doesn't always explain Himself; https://barbaraleeharper.com/2020/05/18/why-doesnt-god-explain/.
I understand the actions of the woman you encountered at the market. We can never be too careful during this pandemic. God Is My Refuge by Fred Hammond has been on repeat while sheltering in place. It brings me great comfort to know that whenever fear arises, I can rest in this truth.
ReplyDeleteGod is so much more than anything on this earth. No matter how His creation affects me, I know that He is the Only One I can trust and the Only One I can know true comfort. Great reminder in this time.
ReplyDeleteI have written about trembling but it is of the awe and reverential kind of trembling, not fear. @ Being Woven -https://beingwoven.org/2020/05/16/tremble/
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
Jennifer, thank you so much for this reminder!!! I was caught in a tornado as a 4th grader and the fear that gripped my heart that day still grips my heart today when there is a warning. So... I feel you!
ReplyDeleteWe have a great post on dealing with difficulties over on the blog —> https://www.instaencouragements.com/blog/dealing-with-difficulties
I am so very grateful of the many verses which come to my aid when fear tries to take a grip.
ReplyDeleteMy post today: http://www.joanneviola.com/2020/05/our-sun-shield/
"God is our refuge. He is our strength. And He is in control". Yes! Yes!Yes! He is our refuge and our strength everyday all day long. Thank you so much for this wonderful reminder. This week I wrote about how poor body image can affect intimacy in marriage, http://keepingthetiethatbinds.com/2020/05/19/body-image-and-intimacy-3-effects-it-has-on-your-marriage/
ReplyDelete