Do Not Be Afraid

I grew up being afraid of the dark. Why? Well I was afraid of what was in the dark, the 'thing' that I couldn't see or make out that might 'get me', so to speak. For may children, the dark is one of the places fear first sets in, or at least that's my theory, where else would fear begin except in childhood (ok adulthood holds some pretty scary things too). But when you really think about what you're afraid of, how far back does it go? I thought for many, many years that my fear of the dark was just 'my thing' the one thing that I truly didn't like, well that was a lie. A lie from myself to myself. My fears started in the dark and grew from there. So why am I still afraid of the dark, now at age 39? Well, I believe it is because that is where all my skeletons are hiding!! And I'm right, that is where they are all hiding, the left the closet and decided that the dark is where they needed to be!

God said several times (where I don't know) that truth hates darkness and shines the light on it to expose it. Sorry I have heard and read that several times but I can't find it now. But reading this what does it mean? Well last spring Lee and I took a life group, Experiencing God, and in that time we learned that "truth" is a person, in the new testament "truth" is referred to as Jesus..."I am the truth, the light and the way" (paraphrased and sorry no reference). When I learned this, I understood why He hates the darkness because if Truth is Jesus then darkness is the enemy. I often struggle with the dark, at one point in my life it was like my nemesis the thing I had to conquer, I was an adult I shouldn't be afraid of the dark. Now, after meeting Jesus and having Him in my life, I don't struggle with that anymore. The fear of the darkness is still there but I know now that I can come inside, if I'm outside, and ask Lee to come out side with me while I do whatever it is that I need to do. If I'm inside I can turn on the lights (by the way that was a revelation for me!). I don't have to be afraid. Sunday I heard that the phrase "do not be afraid" is resited 365 times in the Bible. God says it 365 times!!! That's once for every day that I wake up. My spirit literally jumped for joy when I heard that Sunday morning. My heart leaped and I felt total peace. For the first time in ever I heard that I didn't have to be afraid of anything in this world, that God is taking care of those things that I fear.

Am I still afraid of the dark? YES! Sometimes more so than others, but I don't have to be totally afraid because when I am I get help from Lee, I start reciting verses outloud, I turn on the lights and the fear subsides. I don't have to be afraid but am I still yes because all those skeletons that God is picking away at are trying to pull me back into my fear but I don't have to go. This time, unlike for the majority of my life, I don't have to submit to my fears because I have someone standing beside me, Jesus. So I wonder what you are afraid of? I wonder how far back the real fear goes? Mine still stems from childhood, at least the root of it is from my childhood, and I am still trying to cut it out of my soul. Where does your's start? Does it matter? Yes it matters because without knowing you are defenseless, the fear is still in the dark and no one, even you, don't know how to shine the light on it. Am I still afraid of 'things' that go bump in the night, yes, but God has set the lamp on my left and right to show the way and He can do the same for you.