Spiders

Sometimes, when you are right next to something it seems bigger than it is. 
I was in my kitchen, looking out the window at my children playing outside when it happened.  Now let me preface with the fact that I don’t like bugs.  That said, there are only a few of them that completely freak me out.  Cockroaches… ‘cause eeeew!  If my child catches something and sticks it in my face… I don’t care if it is a rolly-polly, you just surprised me with it in my face.  Or spiders… size doesn’t matter, I just don’t like them.  I have heard over time that there is a type that jumps - this is what I experienced today.  Out of the corner of my eye, right next to my face, I saw this GIANT SPIDER move.  Yes, I squealed.  But I have gotten better over the years (mom-strength) and I regained composure and went to kill it.  Then it jumped.  At me!  Paralyzing fear ensued and I began screaming and yelling for my husband.  More like shrieking for him.  He is my hero, and he saved me from the GIANT SPIDER.  Which, as it turns out, wasn’t actually any bigger than my pinky nail. 
 
All I’m saying is, perspective matters.  Fear causes things to be much bigger than they actually are.  There is an old Veggie Tales song called “God is bigger than the boogie man”, and I think we should all heed its message.
 
Deuteronomy 31:3a, 6, and 8 (HCSV)
”The Lord your God is the One who will cross ahead of you.” “Be strong and courageous; don't be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you." “The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged."
 
Now these verses were all in reference to the Israelites losing Moses, and the change over to leadership of Joshua and their ongoing journey.  However, God’s promise is just as true for us as it was for them.  This was during the enormously miraculous time of Him taking them out of Egypt and going before them in the form of a cloud by day and fire by night.  The fire wasn’t to freak them out, it was to light their way. 
 
 Isaiah 42:6-10
 "I, the Lord, have called you for a righteous [purpose], and I will hold you by your hand. I will keep you, and I make you a covenant for the people [and] a light to the nations, in order to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, [and] those sitting in darkness from the prison house.  I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, or My praise to idols.  The past events have indeed happened. Now I declare new events; I announce them to you before they occur."  Sing a new song to the Lord; [sing] His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea with all that fills it, you islands with your inhabitants.
 
I heard once from a speaker that it is sometimes helpful to replace the references with your own name to understand the gravity of the promise.
“I, the Lord, has called Niki for a righteous purpose, and I will hold Niki by her hand, and I will keep Niki…”  and so on.  Means more to me when I grasp the fact that God is holding me, walking with me.  I also love that we are to sing.  Isaiah 43:21 says this, “The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.”  God is expressing his redemption, and the thing he asks us to do is praise him.  Sing.
 
This strikes me as our family is going through a time of hardship.  We are right up in it, and it looks pretty big.  GIANT even.  But perhaps I should put more faith in God’s perspective, let him hold my hand through the difficulties, and sing a song to my Lord.  Soon, I know it will turn from praise for who he is in spite of my circumstances, to a mighty song of praise for what he did throughout my circumstance.