A breakfast smoothie fell off the table this morning and made quite a splash. Three bath towels later, the floor was cleared of the mess and ready for mopping. My husband took the towels to the laundry room and ran water in the mop sink to rinse them before putting them in the washing machine. Our dog, Scout, saw the towels in my husband's hands and heard the running water, and he trembled with fear. I looked at him with sympathy, and the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart that there was a truth to be told about this morning’s mishap.
Scout was a puppy when he
joined our family. He required few baths, and for the first two years I bathed
him in the bathtub; then we moved. This house has a mop sink, which made
bathing him easier, but he quickly associated the sound of running water in the
laundry room with a bath in the dreaded sink. Scout soon outgrew the mop sink,
so his baths over the past four years have been in our walk-in shower. Our dog
is seven years old now, yet he still cannot shake the fear of hearing running water
in the mop sink. My assurances that he is not getting a bath are meaningless
until he realizes he is not. Fear has taken Scout captive.
FEAR: Dread, fright,
dismay, alarm, panic, terror, and horror are words associated with impending
danger, whether real or imagined.
Fear is a tool of the
enemy of our soul, but it is our choice whether to let it cripple or bind us. The
Bible says we are to give our worries and concerns to God because He cares
about us. We are to stay alert and watchful because our great enemy, the devil,
prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:7-8). The
Holy Spirit also inspired the Apostle Peter to write that if we humble
ourselves under God’s mighty power, He will raise us up. We can stand firm
against our adversary by remaining steadfast in our faith, as our brothers and
sisters in the Lord are doing (1 Peter 5:6, 9). Fear’s “roar” can paralyze God’s children,
leaving us vulnerable to being devoured by the enemy. That can happen only if
we let it.
Unlike us, Scout cannot
grasp or claim Bible truths; he depends on us for care. Join me in thanking the
Lord that we can believe in God, our faithful Heavenly Father, and trust His
Word. Is crippling fear, guilt, or shame over past sins you have been forgiven
holding your soul captive? Or is it a looming, unresolved situation, perhaps
one you entrusted to God, that He hasn’t yet addressed? Humble yourself under
God’s mighty power—He promises to lift you up at the right time because He
cares for you.
