Fall was beginning to make its presence known as Carl, Bee, and I walked out of the house into the crisp morning air. The sun had just peeked over the tree tops and the rays literally blinded us as we walked up the drive way. No one was stirring given that it was Sunday which made it easier to walk the length of several football fields on the road that shouldered no sidewalk.
As we made our way past the wooded area that led back to swamp land, I heard a piercing noise that sounded like a woman’s high pitch cry coming from the dense batch of trees. Looking around and seeing no one to come to our rescue, Carl, Bee, and I quickened our steps and made it safely to the sidewalk of the neighborhood.
Fear rose up inside of my body at the thought of the unknown sound. Thoughts of when my two little bullies were attacked by a neighborhood dog came rushing back into my mind and all I wanted to do was flee.
We continued our walk and after being in the safety of a neighborhood that was fenced in by houses, I began to relax. Fear has a way of taking us captive when we least expect it. If anyone could relate to living with this emotion it must have been King David. For years after being anointed as king, David ran from King Saul who was extremely jealous of David and wanted him dead. At one time, King Saul sent out 30.000 men to kill David but as we know they were unsuccessful.
My emotions briefly lived inside of my soul but for David, they existed for years. Realizing how much stress fear can place on the body, I must wonder how David survived the years of this reoccurring force of emotions. In Psalm 34, David shares with us how we should overcome our longstanding fears. Starting with the first verse David begins by worshipping God and then proceeds to sharing truth about our Lord.
Throughout the entire Psalm, David doesn’t focus on his reason for fear but on the attributes of God. By praying, David was reassured that his God would save him even when it looked hopeless.
Once we safely arrived at home, Carl and Bee scooted into the house and laid down on the wood floor. While they were resting, I asked my husband what he thought the noise could have been. He told me that it sounded just like a bobcat that he had heard. He told me that it would have been disastrous for our little dogs if the bobcat had come out and attacked them. In response to these words, I gave my dogs a big hug and thanked God for keeping us safe.