Shadows Don't Bite

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4 (ESV)

Arise and shine, dear one! God is with you!

I heard a dog barking and glanced up to see a large dog on the back of a boat trailer. Fear gripped me as I firmly grasped my small dog in my arms, bracing myself in case the dog decided to dart our way. We'd experienced a similar encounter just the week before… one that left me shaken, remembering how close we'd come to something far worse.

I looked back at the boat trailer and realized the dog hadn't moved. Not even its position had changed. And then it hit me… this wasn't a real dog at all, but a remarkably lifelike image painted onto the boat. My body relaxed. There was no actual threat. I had nothing to fear from a painted dog.

Later, I recognized that I do the same thing when I let my thoughts wander down that dreaded "what if" trail. I can conjure frightening scenarios that spike my anxiety and feed my fears... all before anything has actually happened. Worrying about what might occur doesn't protect me from anything. It's like trembling at the image of a scary dog when there isn't even a real one there.

Psalm 23 reminds us that we don't have to fear even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Shadows cannot harm us. We aren't walking through life alone. Our Shepherd is right beside us, comforting us and reminding us that He is the one truly in charge. Not a shadow. Not a fear. Not a "what if."

What worries have been troubling you lately, dear one? Catch your thoughts before you spiral deeper into the "what ifs," and look to your Shepherd. He is right there with you. Unlike that painted dog that had me trembling, my God is real… and He is not leaving my side.