Vern was filled with fear. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen once the door opened and we walked out. Would he be left alone? Would his human friends ever return?
Fear can overtake all of us. If we aren’t careful, a single thought can be magnified and swallow us up. Joseph of Arimathea felt fear when he knew he needed to go to Pilate and ask for the body of Jesus. It states in Mark 15:43, “Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”
Joseph knew that if he went to Pilate, he was declaring his faith in Jesus. Given the other men on the council had just put Jesus to death, he was risking his position and his many relationships. The scriptures states he “took courage”. So when do we need courage? When we are afraid.
When was the last time you received a prompting by the Holy Spirit to do something and you felt fear rush through your body? It shouldn’t surprise you. But like Joseph, take courage and push through the fear and watch how God works.
As for Vern, other than rearranging the rug and pulling down some pillows on the floor, his fear was contained.
