Sometimes my beagle Bo provides the best example of how we are supposed to behave in our relationship with God. And he does it without even knowing it.
Let me give you an example. Several weeks back at about 2:00 AM, we had a fierce thunderstorm that came out of nowhere. I was sound asleep when a bolt of lightening lit up the bedroom. The thunder crashed so loudly that I was instantly awakened in time to both see and hear this incredible display. And so was Bo. Bo sometimes sleeps under the covers at my feet, but this flash of light and clap of thunder was so extreme that it caused him to awaken with a start.
Panicked, he scurried to the head of the bed and came out from the covers. And while the lightening and thunder continued, he stood over me licking my face trying to get me to look at him. As our eyes met, I rubbed his head and told him everything was alright. And, that was all he needed. He stuck his nose under the covers and crawled down to my feet, curled up, and quickly went back to sleep. In a matter of less than a minute, even though the lightening and thunder continued almost as fiercely as the original crash, he was soundly sleeping and snoring.
Even in the midst of this storm, the fear he initially felt was gone. Because I was there. I was his protector and if I told him it was okay, it was okay. He didn’t have to worry. I was in control and as far as he knew, I would keep him safe.
In Proverbs 3:25-26, King Solomon says, “Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.” That was not written for Bo; it was written for me.
Now, I know that the type of fear Bo and I face is bound to be different and I hope that dogs never have to deal with the same level of wickedness we as humans encounter, but the way we react to fear and wickedness can be the same. Bo’s confidence to go back to his rest came from knowing that I was there and watching over him. Once he knew I was awake and his eyes locked with mine, he knew that I would do whatever I had to do to protect him.
God is always awake–He’s always there to protect us. And if we keep our eyes on Him, we don’t have to be afraid of sudden fear or the slings and arrows from the wickedness we’re bound to encounter. The proverb doesn’t say that we will never face wickedness or that we will never have to deal with fear. It only says that God will protect us if we place our confidence in Him. And, you know, if we allow it, that confidence should be enough to let us sleep in the midst of whatever trials we may be facing. After all, if I was good enough for Bo; God should certainly be good enough for us.
Thom Fishow
August 15, 2010