Fear
1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined2. reverential awe
Today I've become more and more afraid. Fear has taken over in my mind and in my heart. As the full scale of the damage becomes clearer and as the threat of nuclear meltdown materializes - fear has taken residence in me. Since the earthquake happened, I've been reading the news stories and watching the videos and looking at all the pictures but haven't let anything seep in past my brain. I've been looking at it all as an outsider. Like I looked at the earthquake that happened in Haiti. Like I barely glanced at the earthquake in New Zealand. What I'm beginning to realize however, is that this earthquake happened here.
I felt that earthquake.
The first earthquake I've ever felt in my entire life happened a little over two weeks ago. Everyone laughed at me for being scared of such a "small' earthquake. But really - one of the things you're supposed to be able to count on in your life is that when you take that next step, the ground will be there. Hasn't anyone ever said to you something along the lines of, "Look straight ahead while you walk! The ground isn't going anywhere." Well, I've heard that at least once or twice. But what if - what if - one time when you go to take that next step the ground really isn't there? Of course I'm exaggerating a bit but how can anyone shrug off the movement of the ground?! I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that - no matter how small.
One thing is certain - I have so much respect for this earth and the processes that govern it. That must be some incredible power to move landmasses. Entire COUNTRIES. It's such a huge amount of mass that I can't even begin to comprehend it.
How the earth must have moved to create a tsunami that reached 10 kilometers inland. Entire trains - TRAINS - were lost in the water. Entire towns were swallowed up. Wow.
My heart breaks for those that lost their lives. For those that lost family and friends. For those that lost their home. For those that don't have hot water, food to eat, a warm bed to sleep in. I'm earnestly praying that the Lord would provide a way for me to use my spring break to go up north to help. How I would be able to help since I don't speak Japanese - I don't know. But Lord, please take me up north to help do something.
I guess that's who I am - a doer. Some people are born with the ability to sit and talk things out with someone and speak words of encouragement and provide a consoling hug. I'm not one of those people. Physical touch is not one of my love languages. (I just took a quiz online that tells me my number one language is Acts of Service. #2 is Words of Affirmation and a close #3 is Quality Time, in case you're interested.) Most of the time, I'm a great listener and sometimes can give good advice but honestly, I'd much rather be doing something. Cooking you a great meal, taking you out to see a movie, beating someone up that hurt you - anything to avoid having a touch-feely moment, really.
As it says in Isaiah 6:8 - "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And you will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!' "
Watching this website http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_local_index.html and seeing all the earthquakes still happening - a ridiculous number - scares me. Watching how much closer they're getting to Nagoya scares me even more. If you go back in time to the big one on Friday and track the location of all the following earthquakes - they're moving inland and south. Closer and closer to where I live. Does that mean that an earthquake will eventually hit where I am? Maybe. Maybe not. If Japanese meteorologists or whomever have anything to say about it - we should be prepared here in the next 72 hours for a 7.0 magnitude quake. That's what they're predicting. Everything I've ever been taught about earthquakes tells me that you absolutely can't predict them. Plus, predicting there will be an earthquake in Japan is kind-of like predicting that the sun will rise tomorrow. Well, all I can say for sure is that the prediction is there and the pattern of earthquakes is moving south down the island.
It's darkly funny that I was always scared in Ghana. We were always hiding things in funny places so that if we got robbed the robbers wouldn't know where to find our most valuable things. We always tried to walk in groups at night for safety. We lived in houses with bars on every window and locks on the front gate - just in case. But nothing ever happened there. Praise the Lord - I was always safe and taken care of.
I'm not supposed to be scared in Japan. That wasn't the plan. What's worse - I can't plan or take precautionary measures against the threats here. Sure Japan is faaaaaar more structurally sound than a place like Haiti and the buildings are made to withstand earthquakes - but there is nothing that I can do. I'm at the mercy of whomever built the buildings in which I spend my time.
Watching this website http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_local_index.html and seeing all the earthquakes still happening - a ridiculous number - scares me. Watching how much closer they're getting to Nagoya scares me even more. If you go back in time to the big one on Friday and track the location of all the following earthquakes - they're moving inland and south. Closer and closer to where I live. Does that mean that an earthquake will eventually hit where I am? Maybe. Maybe not. If Japanese meteorologists or whomever have anything to say about it - we should be prepared here in the next 72 hours for a 7.0 magnitude quake. That's what they're predicting. Everything I've ever been taught about earthquakes tells me that you absolutely can't predict them. Plus, predicting there will be an earthquake in Japan is kind-of like predicting that the sun will rise tomorrow. Well, all I can say for sure is that the prediction is there and the pattern of earthquakes is moving south down the island.
It's darkly funny that I was always scared in Ghana. We were always hiding things in funny places so that if we got robbed the robbers wouldn't know where to find our most valuable things. We always tried to walk in groups at night for safety. We lived in houses with bars on every window and locks on the front gate - just in case. But nothing ever happened there. Praise the Lord - I was always safe and taken care of.
I'm not supposed to be scared in Japan. That wasn't the plan. What's worse - I can't plan or take precautionary measures against the threats here. Sure Japan is faaaaaar more structurally sound than a place like Haiti and the buildings are made to withstand earthquakes - but there is nothing that I can do. I'm at the mercy of whomever built the buildings in which I spend my time.
More importantly, I'm at the mercy of the great, powerful, loving, bigger-than-any-earthquake God that I serve.
No matter what is going on around me, God's desire for my life - for anyone's life - is never for us to live in fear. While I was sitting here in my room, afraid of what might happen next, I decided to see what God says about fear.
In the concordance at the back of my Bible are listed 26 verses that specifically contain the word "fear" or "fears." Of those 26, only four are talking about what we normally think of when we think of the word fear - a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined. And each of those four verses are about how with God and only with God do we overcome our fears in this world.
We have absolutely nothing to fear when we take refuge in the Lord and rely solely on him. No matter what happens, because I am saved through Jesus Christ, I have nothing to be afraid of because under the Lord's wings I will take refuge and I will fear nothing because the Lord God is with me. What an awesome assurance the Lord has given to me through his son Jesus Christ. I don't have to be afraid.
Back to the concordance... The other 22 verses? They all speak to the "reverential awe" we should have for God. Just one of them...
Standing in reverential awe of the Lord our God leads to life! It leads to eternal life in heaven with the Lord. Fearing the Lord leads to content. No matter what is going on around me, if I live my life in fear - reverential awe - of the Lord I can be content. The peace of God which transcends all understanding is mine because He is gracious and merciful enough to give it to me through the power of His Holy Spirit.
I'm done living in fear of my circumstances. I choose to live in contentment and joy with the love of God that is in Christ Jesus MY Lord. After all, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27
My question to you is... Do you live in fear - reverential awe - of the Lord?
It's a good way to be. The only way to be.
In the concordance at the back of my Bible are listed 26 verses that specifically contain the word "fear" or "fears." Of those 26, only four are talking about what we normally think of when we think of the word fear - a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined. And each of those four verses are about how with God and only with God do we overcome our fears in this world.
Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."
Psalm 23:3-4 "He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Psalm 91:4-7 "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you."
Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."
Psalm 23:3-4 "He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Psalm 91:4-7 "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you."
We have absolutely nothing to fear when we take refuge in the Lord and rely solely on him. No matter what happens, because I am saved through Jesus Christ, I have nothing to be afraid of because under the Lord's wings I will take refuge and I will fear nothing because the Lord God is with me. What an awesome assurance the Lord has given to me through his son Jesus Christ. I don't have to be afraid.
Back to the concordance... The other 22 verses? They all speak to the "reverential awe" we should have for God. Just one of them...
Proverbs 19:23 "The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble."
Standing in reverential awe of the Lord our God leads to life! It leads to eternal life in heaven with the Lord. Fearing the Lord leads to content. No matter what is going on around me, if I live my life in fear - reverential awe - of the Lord I can be content. The peace of God which transcends all understanding is mine because He is gracious and merciful enough to give it to me through the power of His Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:35, 37-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I'm done living in fear of my circumstances. I choose to live in contentment and joy with the love of God that is in Christ Jesus MY Lord. After all, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27
My question to you is... Do you live in fear - reverential awe - of the Lord?
It's a good way to be. The only way to be.
2 comments:
WOW...great post luhlyse.
I'm praying lots. Love you tons. Good luck!! I hope you and Manda are able to find something awesome you can do to help.
I AM SOOOOOO BLESSED by this!!!!!!!!!!
Elyse, I've always known blogs were a good idea, because so many people would thank me for mine, but your blog has increased my understanding of that.
You really bless other people by sharing your faith!!
Rev says "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" Giving a testimony about what God teaches YOU, blesses others.
Love you girl!!
PS Your love language thing made me laugh!!!!
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