Redefining Fear - Ben

Growing up, I had the most vivid nightmares. Even today, I can still remember them. 

In one dream, I’m standing on a massive white platform waiting for a train. The tracks are laid out before me and, if I look to the right, I can see a dark opening in the wall. I can hear that a train is approaching. And then, without warning, I’m teleported inside the tunnel as the train comes into the station. 

It hits me. 

I wake up.  

In another dream, I'm standing in a vast white room. As I look to the left, I see what appears to be a couple of bouncing balls coming my way. They, too, are white. I remember thinking that they're no bigger than the kind that you might get in a vending machine. Suddenly, I noticed that the closer the balls got to me, the bigger they became. In fact, they got so large they seemed to be the size of the moon. Realizing this, I would start to run in the opposite direction. But I'm surrounded and cannot escape. 

They hit me. 

I wake up.  

Sad to say, these dreams were a nightly occurrence for some time. Once each nightmare had ended, I would always go downstairs, looking for mom. After I grew up, I asked her about this time in my life, and she told me that it was one of the saddest things for her to watch. She would say that all the color appeared to have been drained from my face, and I would be shaking uncontrollably. What's more, I would often be muttering to myself as if I was still in the dream. But she couldn’t really do anything for me except try to reassure me. She said she felt so helpless. 

Eventually, the nightmares stopped. Looking back, I have no idea what meaning, if any, can be gleaned from these dreams. I’m sure someone will point to this post as proof that my insanity started at a young age. However, looking back, I’m glad for those memories. Because, though my mom has left this earth, I have memories like these to remind me that I had a pretty amazing mom. Not perfect, but pretty darn close. And it was through the loving actions of my mother, I learned that the presence of a parent can dispel fear in the heart of a child. 

God is no different. The presence of our heavenly Father dispels every kind of fear.

Famously, David said in Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…." The follower of God is never spared the valley. All those who live godly lives will have to walk that valley, eventually. But what we are spared is that we do not have to walk that valley alone. God will never abandon us. The Good Shepherd is always with us.

Amazingly, we can track God’s dependability throughout the Scriptures. 

God told Jacob, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Gen. 28:15) Later, that same Jacob would tell his son, Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers." (Gen. 48:21) Later on, God would tell Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Ex. 33:14) He would then tell Joshua—Moses’ successor—that, “Just as I [God] was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Josh. 1:5) He then told Isaiah the Prophet, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off, fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41-9-10) And so on it goes until, lastly, we’re told that Jesus said to his disciples, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)

We are never alone in this life. God is with us to sustain us in our fearful valleys. And just like a mother holding her child after a bad dream, the presence of God chases our nightmares away.  Shadows cannot abide the light of the Almighty. And fear cannot find purchase in the hearts of those whose mind is "stayed" on God (cf. Isa. 26:3).