“For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.” (Is 41:13 NIV)
Recently, two women I know were involved in events that made me think a lot about fear. A teen ski racer made her inaugural “drop in” to the notoriously tricky Corbet’s Couloir and a world-famous “extreme skiing” veteran died after dropping into what was, by all accounts, a mundane line the likes of which she had skied hundreds of times. One making a first descent, the other her last. Two “drop ins,” two starkly differing results, yet a shared love of skiing joins them together. Along with another thread common to all sentient beings—fear.
As an athlete, coach and manager, I have experienced many moments of “dropping into” circumstances that caused me to face down my fears and witness some of the greatest skiers and riders in the world do the same. In my “big mountain” days, I was a part of the Winter X Games, both the Snowboard and Ski Extreme Championships and the speed endurance event 24 Hours of Aspen. These contests are famous because in all of them, the athletes must triumph over both the terrain and the fear that accompanies mastering it.
As I have pondered and prayed over how fear may have come to both of these women—the tummy tickle as the younger peered over the dizzying multi-layered, rock-lined wall of snow and ice that is Corbet’s, the older as the ground broke away from her and sent her hurtling towards the trees—what has remained at the forefront of my mind is an overwhelming sense of profound gratitude. How blessed I am to be saved and to have a High Tower into which I can run when I am fearful.
The phrase “do not be afraid” is written in the bible 365 times. That is a daily reminder from God to live each day fearlessly. Brothers and sisters, we are so very blessed that, although our human flesh may cry out in fear, we have a Savior whose steadying hand can calm the storms and whose sacrifice guarantees that, although weapons may be formed against us, they shall not prevail.
In this dark, chaotic and fallen world, fear is a part of the human condition. But we who call upon the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior are promised that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Phil 4:7, NIV) will always triumph over any fear factor that attempts to rob us of that peace.
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When was the last time you felt fearful or anxious?
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In that circumstance, what did you do? How did you respond?
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What can we do to bless ourselves and others in times of fear?
By Donna Devlin | Bethlehem, NH