It’s raining!
No Charlie, it’s not raining, the sun is out. This is just the snow melting.
Why is the snow melting?
Because the sun melts the snow.
This is a typical conversation that I have with my almost 4-year-old son. Seemingly simple conversation, with deep treasures. I didn’t realize during this conversation how desperately I would need those words just the next day.
It would be the next day that I would be flooded with fear, doubt, and insecurity… all at once. And I realized how these emotions can try to harden the heart as quickly as they begin to flood in. For me a hardened heart makes me want to hide and run for safety. But are you really safe in hiding?
From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:2
The rock that is higher than I. A place that you can’t get to unaided, and a place that is safe when the enemy comes… even when the enemy is fear, doubt, and insecurity. The rock that is higher that I is a place of freedom and safety. The Rock that is higher than I.
When I think of the verse above, I think of eagles. His word says that when we wait upon the Lord we will renew our strength and mount up on wings like eagles. When an eagle eats something that is poisonous and makes him sick, it will fly to the highest rock it can find and will lay “spread eagle” with its wings out against the rock. He stays there until the sun removes the poison allowing him to be free to fly with the other eagles again.
Spread eagle. Getting as close to the rock as possible, being as vulnerable as possible. If I ever saw an eagle doing this, I would probably think it was dead. But the eagle knows it needs to do this in order to become free.
Are you really safe in hiding?
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) I actually really like the King James Version of this verse, because at the end it says that He has given us a spirit of a sound mind.
Sound mind. The phrase is taken from the Greek word sophroneo which is a compounded from sodzo (delivered or safe) and phroneo (someones “frame” of mind). Delivered and safe. A sound mind is exactly what I need sometimes. Well let’s be honest, I need it all the time, but I don’t have it all the time. A mindset that firm, and steadfast. One that is clear, and rational. A state that is secure, especially when the poison of fears and doubts creep in.
Eagles don’t hide under a rock, they lay on top of the rock to let the sun draw the poison the sickness that is hindering them.
What is your first desire when trouble comes? Admittedly, a lot of the time, my first thought is to run the other direction. Fight or flight? Yeah, I want to flight. See ya later, I don’t want to deal with this, can I just go hide under a rock? Please. It is safe there right?
I shared a verse from Psalm 61 above, it is from David. What is interesting is that just a few chapters before in Psalm 55, David shares that he is distraught by what the enemy is saying and the “terrors of death” have fallen on him. His heart is anguished, and he desires to fly away and be at rest, and stay in the desert.
Perfect love drives out fear.
1 John 4:18
Things haven’t changed with the human heart over time, and neither is the truth that David knows that there is no freedom in hiding. This week I have had to throw myself on the Rock daily, and emerge myself in His truth, because it is only the Son who can melt the fears, doubts, and insecurities because His perfect love gives us freedom.
In doing that, I have seen His love, I have seen that His ways are good, I have experienced how carefully He holds our hearts, and that being on the Rock is what keeps my heart free and of sound mind.
When we are “sick” whether it be because of sin, doubt, insecurities, fears… we can draw close to the highest Rock, Jesus, and cling to Him, the Son, as close to Him as we can, until He removes what doesn’t belong. Because in this we find the freedom because of the “Son” to soar again, on wings like eagles.
God, our hearts so easily get overwhelmed with fear, but you haven’t given us a spirit of fear. Your power is of love, freedom, and a sound mind. We desire to soar like eagles, so as we draw near to you, free us from the chains of fear and doubt, and shower us with love that rescues us from insecurity. Perfect love drives our fear, and gives us a mind that is secure because of You. Thank you for perfect love, Jesus. Amen.
