Afraid to Courageous

Last year, one of my friends gave me some insight that would eventually come to fruition this year. He mentioned in a conversation that when songwriters step out to write a song with the Lord, either for themselves or for a congregation, if the lyrical content of that song has not already played out in their life, God sometimes has a way of bringing about the circumstances that are being written about in the song within that songwriter’s life. Over the last few years of writing, I have seen this play out in some regard, but nothing like the events that took place last month. Not only did the lyrics of a song I had penned earlier this year come to life, but the Psalm that inspired it was the very one that was first up on my reading plan for the next morning after a night that I will never forget.

In the past, and still in the present, when I read through Scripture either in a reading plan or devotionally, there are times where I wonder if some of the events that I read about will ever happen to me; obviously not verbatim to the narrative of the text, but maybe some things that are closely relatable. I used to fret over these thoughts but the Lord has also showed me each day that the story that He is writing within my life may relate at times to other characters in the Bible in certain aspects, but the life and plans He has for me, are unique. So, when I read through the life of Jesus, prayers that David wrote and sang to the Lord, or think about the trials of other men and women in our heavenly family, I do recognize that some of these themes indeed can play out within our lives to a certain extent, yet, still within God’s will for our lives individually. And sometimes the timing around when we read of these events can only be planned by the One who holds all times and seasons in His grasp.

The Lord has been leading me to start an ever-developing project involving landscape photography and video media over the past months, which is something I never thought He would lead me to do in my lifetime. The locations that I have been able to go to have been spectacular but also physically and mentally challenging in many ways, but I have seen His hand guiding me through day after day. Last month, for one of these days of work, climbing Big Slide Mountain was on the calendar, which involved spending time in the High Peaks Wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains. Hiking and visiting the mountains here in upstate NY has been a regular thing for my wife and I over the years, but I have seen more and more through my life that when the Lord leads me to do something for Him, the opposition comes, and at times, it can feel like spiritual artillery from the enemy. I found a small dry cabin to stay at the night before the hike and arrived there late the night before the hike. As I dropped my things and started to settle in for the night, I looked on the wall to see an interesting charcoal photo that appeared to be a dark figured woman standing in the middle of the woods; it was eerie to say the least. As I looked at the details of the picture, it almost appeared that the woman was in a location remarkably similar to where I was; in the forest and by a creek. My spirit was a bit unsettled at this point, and it was right then that I sensed the Lord wanting me to take a closer look around the cabin, and as I did, I looked up to the vaulted ceiling to get a look at the last thing I wanted to see in that moment, a Twana, an occult symbol representing the victims of the Blair Witch from the movie that released in the late 1990’s. Fear immediately began to swell within me, but I immediately went to the Lord in concentrated prayer and asked for His protection. I could sense His presence with me as He reminded me that He had me and that this time was just as ordained by Him as any other sunny and joyful day, but I knew it was going to be a rough night with no way of finding another place to stay. Without going into all the details of what took place through the night, I’ll just say, the darkness was palpable to every single one of my senses until I stepped off the grounds of the cabin the next morning.

As I laid down and tried to pray and take all my thoughts to God, the Lord reminded me of a small collection of songs I had downloaded earlier that month written by Sarah Sparks called Sleep: “Song For the Anxious.” I played the songs all through the night and it was a reminder of the weapon that we all have in worship and meditating on the truths and promises of God in song. After tossing and turning for a majority of the night, I woke up in the early hours the next morning to the same darkness which was still lingering thick over my soul and the place as well. As I went downstairs and opened by Bible to try and read through the word and pray through everything that was taking place, I saw that my reading plan had me in Psalm 56 for that day. I sensed the Holy Spirit highlighting the Psalm’s description, “Prayer for Relief from Tormentors.” There is no better passage that I could have turned to that morning, and He knew I needed it right then. As I prayed it aloud and came to verses three and four, saying, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”, I could feel an almost immediate release of the stress and fear that was looming. I left the cabin soon after and as I left I could feel the presence of the Lord lifting my soul to praise Him and thank Him for His protection through the night.

Trusting in the Lord in the midst of demonic oppression as well as when people come against us will eventually lead us to a place where we can stand courageous in the face of adversity. We do not need to fear or be afraid of the enemy when we trust and believe that He is truly on our side. Whenever you are experiencing the darkness of this world that we see tangibly, or the evil principalities in the heavenly and unseen realms; sing or pray the promises of God over your life and ask Him to cover you within the shadow of His wings. The darkness and the spirits that dwell within it cannot stand it and will lose out every time against the power of our God.

I Will Trust (Psalm 56) by Mark Anderson

I will not fear, I will not hide

From peril, sword, or famine, from darkness of the night

I know You’re here, You’re on my side

Whom then shall I fear?

What can they do to me?

Oh I will trust in You

By Mark Anderson

October 2023