No matter how old you are, there seem to be certain snapshots from your childhood that are seared in your memory. You know. The ones that were so traumatic at the time and that the enemy to this day still tries to use to get you to doubt the goodness of God. Not to be outdone, however, God uses the same snapshots to, as a modern song says, “take what the enemy meant for evil and turn them for good.”...
When I was about 5, I had lots of fun memories of following my dad to the town fire station on Saturday mornings. Big trucks that made a lot of noise. Marveling at the size of hoses. The chicken barbecues and the auctions. And because dad was a captain with the department, there was one Saturday that topped them all—when I got to ride in the cab when he went to pick up the new pumper. I remember the feeling of being high above the ground and on top of the world.
Then one Saturday, while mom was out shopping, the fire alarm sounded. Dad had to go. And I had to go with him. Up to a point. When we got to the firehouse, he said I couldn’t come with him this time but that he’d be back soon. The sirens, the commotion, guys racing to get their gear on, and then disappearing down the road was scary enough—but not as scary as being left alone by dad. But I was never really alone because he put me in the care of a family friend who was station manager for the day. He gave me peanuts and a soda and we turned on the black and white TV to watch cartoons as a distraction that worked really well. He stayed right there with me until dad came back just as he promised, picked me up high and hugged me tightly….
This was a Divine set-up, long before I knew who Jesus was or why I should give my life to follow Him. Because while the enemy has many times since tried to take that snapshot to remind me that this is a scary world and you are on your own to figure it out, God inspired the writing of John 14 as the ultimate reinforcement of the promise that just the opposite is true.
The microwave version is this: After spending three amazing years with Jesus, filled with adventures and wide-eyed wonders, there in an upper room on the night He was to be betrayed, the fire alarm of Time’s fulfillment sounded:
“Wait. Where are You going, and why, and when are You coming back?”
“I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.”
“And I will give you Someone who will take care of you and guide you and remind you of everything I said until I get back.”
Fear of the unknown is real. Fear of things seeming to be out of control is real. It’s part of being human. But you can feed the fear by believing the 24/7 news cycle and people’s scary and screaming posts on your social media feed, or you can choose to turn fear to ever-increasing faith by remembering that no matter how you feel or how it may look, God never leaves you alone to figure out life by yourself. Ever.
And on those days when you feel like a little kid who has been left at the fire station, it’s better to remember that:
“He brings out the starry host one by one
And calls them each by name
Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”—Isaiah 40:26
And…
“You hem me in—behind and before;
You have laid Your hand upon me…
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?”—Psalm 139:5, 7
And so then…
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified …for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
—Deuteronomy 31:6
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