All my life, I’ve wanted to be the brave one—even though I cling to life’s safety zone. So, when I asked my family to take part in a whitewater rafting adventure, they met my request with wide eyes. After the initial shock, they willingly agreed—and that’s how our family vacation to the Smokey Mountains began.
When the day for the adventure arrived, I bounced in the seat of the retired school bus that wound up the mountainside. Filled with nervous excitement, I sat up straight and tucked my feet underneath the bench as our tour guide explained the safety procedures for our whitewater rafting experience.
Once he started listing the possible catastrophes and how to avoid them, it took all of five seconds before I regretted the whole thing. My perceived bravery washed away on the bus—replaced by fear of the unknown, how-tos, and what-ifs, which threatened to rob me of my dream.
Paralyzing anxiety is an all-too-common experience in my life. And so, I did what I always do—I prayed: Lord, I need Your help. Please calm my fears and give me courage to get in the boat.
Going to God with our Fears
Still trembling with fear, determination filled me as I recalled the psalmist’s declaration: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me” (Ps. 120:1). Just as the writer stood confident in God’s hearing—and answering—his cries for help, I was sure the Lord would meet me too.
After making my way off the bus, I took my seat on the raft. I made sure I followed the instructions our guide had given, and anxiously waited for the adventure to begin. We were catapulted into the cold river and started a swift descent down the mountainside.
A scream welled up and spilled out as the water sloshed over my legs and sprayed across my face. My stomach dropped and I vacillated between anxiety-ridden yelps and jubilant laughter as our boat hit rocks, soared over boulders, swerved fallen trees, and circled in gushing whirlpools.
Isn’t this the way it is in life?
Trusting God with our Fears
Sometimes life’s circumstances are filled with rocky, slippery difficulties. These can come in the form of prolonged illness, sudden loss, and unexpected rejection. We lose our footing, cry out to the Lord in fear of the unknown, and wonder if—and how—we will make it through.
The Bible is full of accounts of others who experienced hardships and struggles. Jesus declared: “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). And if we stop reading there, fear threatens to overtake us. Yet, blessedly, he follows his declaration with a promise: “But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
It’s a given that billowing waves, pounding pain, and white-knuckling troubles will meet each of us on life’s journey. The good news is that we can also experience the beauty of answered prayers, safe passages, and exuberant gifts brought by walking close beside our Savior. Our God promises: “When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him” (Ps. 91:15).
Finding Delight amid our Fears
The writer of Psalm 119:143 declares: “Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.”
The psalmist experienced a juxtaposition, which is something you and I will probably experience: difficulty with joy, hardship with comfort. Like the psalmist, we have this assurance: journeying through life’s trials—no matter how frightening—while holding to God’s Word and his promises will ultimately fill our hearts with joy (James 1:2-3). In fact, the psalmist’s experience—and our own—points to the reality that we never journey through the “valley of the shadow of death” alone (Ps. 23:4; cf Matt. 28:20). The Lord is close beside us, and he has provided the instructions, strength, and peace we need along the way—all the way to the other side.
I was so focused on the fear of the possible dangers in the water that I almost missed the pleasures along the journey that I found rafting down the mountainside with my family. I pray—with God’s help—that we continue to give our fears to God so we can bask in the joy of the Lord. May it be true of you that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Neh. 8:10).
