Daily Devotional: Run To God When You Are Afraid

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).”

Yesterday I woke up from a comforting sleep and went into the hallway. Moments later, my son followed me. As we were both getting ready to go downstairs to start the day– all of a sudden–the dryer machine alarm went off. The loud buzzing sound shrieked our ears and caused Nolan to scream and panic. He immediately grabbed my arm and was crying in absolute fear.

He wouldn’t let me go for at least 10 minutes. As I was holding on to him, I felt empathy because he was really afraid, and I also felt proud to be his dad and protect him from any outside factor that would be a perceived threat. Of course, the dryer machine was no true threat– and I knew this–but my son needed me at that time to console his anxiety.

The same is true with God. There are many outside factors that are perceived threats, and oftentimes these fears do not ever materialize. Nevertheless, God is always there for us, as a loving Father, to remind us not to be dismayed. Why? Because God is our strength. He is our comforter and will uphold us with his strong right hand.

The Psalmist declares in chapter 23, verse 4: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

God never promises us only rainbow and sunshiny days free of calamity. In fact, he tells us to rejoice when we go through various trials (James 1:2), knowing that the testing of our faith produces perseverance–and that perseverance leads to a mature faith.

In September of last year, I went through a terrifying experience. Hurricane Ian had made landfall in Fort Myers, Florida as a strong category 4 beast. There was nowhere for us to go, and we were far enough inland to be out of the evacuation zones, so we decided to stay.

While the flood surge never came close to our home, the wind was catastrophic. You could hear it roaring outside like a mighty lion and trying to lift up the roof as if it was a piece of straw. When you looked outside, all you could see was a white mist–like a large tornado surrounding you for several hours.

In that moment, I felt the nearness of death. I was crying out to God for forgiveness, mercy, and started thinking about all my sins. Fear had paralyzed me, and I never really got the peace I was looking for. And once I started to calm down and trust in the Lord, I knew that everything would be okay.

The Lord is our refuge and solid rock. He will not allow us to be destroyed by the enemy. When we trust in Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength–He will rescue us in time of distress.

Have you ever felt so much fear that you thought the Lord wouldn’t be able to deliver you? Believe me, I have and am a living testimony he can surely deliver you from it. May God bless you in the mighty name of Jesus.

Devotional by Chad A. Damitz