"Safe"

Last night, I took Bear for our evening walk.  We took the same route that we typically take.  While we were walking around one of the cul-de-sacs on our route, Bear got scared by a piece of metal equipment that was on the side of the road.  He was SO scared that he literally jumped off the ground and whimpered.

Normally, I have four kiddos toting behind me which leaves me very distracted!  But last night it was just me and Bear.  I decided to circle back around the cul-de-sac and have him walk by the piece of equipment again.  He was definitely scared and tried to hide behind me as we walked by it.  We paused by the equipment, and I just rubbed him and told him "safe"...that is our cue word to let him know everything is OK.  He still wasn't having it.  I could tell he wanted to move on with his walk, but I wanted him to know that he didn't need to be afraid of this big, scary piece of equipment. We walked around again, and I kept telling him "safe."  This time he relaxed a bit and wasn't as scared.  So, we walked around again and this time he walked confidently around the circle...he sniffed it and kept going...walking beside me.

As we continued on our walk, the Lord began speaking to my spirit.  Right now, we are living in a pretty uncertain time.  Some may be feeling scared just like Bear did last night walking by the metal equipment.  And just as I was being loving and gentle with Bear, God does the same with us.  He is walking beside us letting us know we are safe because we are in His presence. I could have easily continued with our walk and left the big, scary thing behind.  Instead, I took the time to build confidence in and trust with Bear. God could easily take this virus away and leave all the scary stuff behind, but instead He is allowing it to continue. I believe He wants to strengthen and mature His Church during this time. He is showing us that we need to depend on Him and Him alone.  He wants us to trust Him instead of trusting ourselves. He wants to build our confidence in Him.

When I got home, I took some time to research some verses about His safety in times of trouble. The Lord lead me to Nahum 1:7

So, I submit this verse to you.  Take a few minutes to ponder it.  Soak in the three truths from this verse.

1. The Lord is good. Despite our world being turned upside down...God is still good.  Take a few seconds and make a list of how God has been good to you.
2. He is our stronghold in times of trouble.  I looked up the word stronghold.  It means a place that has been fortified so as to protect against an attack.  What are you doing to protect your heart, mind and spirit during this time of isolation?  
3. He knows those who come to Him...some translations say He cares.  He desires us to come to Him.  He already knows the fears and worries we have.  He wants us to come before Him, so He can care for us.  What do you need to leave at the cross this day, so He can care for you?