The Shadows of Fear

Verse:

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”

Thoughts:  

       I was backpacking one summer on Isle Royale in the middle of Lake Superior.  The island has no motorized vehicles, and the only way to get around the island is by foot.  The island is famous for its two main species that inhabit it - wolves and moose.

     One morning, the sun came beaming down through the overhead trees down onto our tent.  It was glaring - to the point that it woke me up.  As I stirred around and opened my eyes, I saw a shadow that was being cast on the side of our tent.  It was an adult wolf.  By estimation, he was on the outside of our tent sniffing around at  about 3-5’ away.  I must confess that I was pretty concerned, but within a second or two, he took off running, and I never saw him again - thankfully.

Action Point:

      Life can be tough as a believer, and we live in a world saturated by sin.  There are some people who seem to relish in it and  take pleasure in rubbing it in the faces of Believers.   We can get gun-shy of these people, and sometimes all it takes to nerve us up is the shadow of the person being close by.

      The Bible verse for us today reminds us that we are not to fear any man.  We are to keep our eyes on the Lord.  As difficult as it is to separate sin from the sinner, we are not to hate people, but the sin that they carry.  If  you have a difficult person in your life, do not fear them. Pray for them and ask God to do a work in their heart.  Stay strong in the Lord. 

Sportsman’s Tip of the Day:

   If  you are out backpacking, absolutely make sure to get any scented items in a bear box or hanging from a tree.  Don’t leave these items laying around camp. It can cause some pretty serious problems.