Royal Heir: I Will Fear No Evil

Sunday, August 19, 2012

I Will Fear No Evil

I wrote this in 2006. Every now and then I feel the need to read it again.

One morning when I was having my devotions I decided not to read the Bible for some reason, but rather picked up a new book based on a prayer of David. I stopped short on page 28 at a very simple statement which I have heard thousands of times, about the sheep and the shepherd. But this morning it struck me like lightning.

I stopped cold and closed my eyes, as a scene unfolded before me. I don't know whether it was a dream or a vision, or what to call it. I seemed to actually live it. Unlike any other experience, it was so moving and so real that when it was over I immediately went to my computer, again closed my eyes, and typed the entire thing with eyes closed (for fear it would disappear), as I 're-wound' it in my head. Here it is:

I saw that I was a little white lamb, a baby lamb.

I was frolicking along, and before I knew what had happened I found myself caught in a sort of bush that had a lot of thorny branches, and as I stepped one foot one way and then another, I found myself surrounded on all sides, above and below, caught in a thicket. No matter which way I tried to turn, there were huge thorns, 10"-12" long. I could move in no direction at all. I was paralyzed with fear and to move in any direction was to encounter a thorn. I couldn't move, not an inch, in any direction, and I began to panic. Even my shaking threatened to bring me into contact with a thorn that would tear into my skin.

But I found my voice, the one thing left to me, and I whimpered with a small bleat, wondering how far away my shepherd was, and certain he was too far away to hear me. I had lost sight of him. And even if by some miracle he could hear, even he couldn't move me out of this thicket. I was surrounded on all sides, encircled by thousands of thorns. But there was nothing left to do, and in my despair I bleated with a tiny hopeless whimper, just in case.

I closed my eyes so as not to see my prison, and was afraid even to sigh, because that small movement would harm me. Everything turned black.

As I sank into the depths of despair and prepared to die, I felt something strong beneath me. Soft, oh so soft, but so strong. Like cotton. My heart skipped. I opened my eyes, and beneath me I saw the huge hand of my shepherd, so soft and so strong. But his hand, I noticed, had a huge jagged scar that ran clear across it. He must have gotten caught in a thicket, too, I thought. His strong hand began to miraculously lift me right up through the entire thicket bed, straight up, and somehow even though the thorns were all still there, his hand, with me in it, went straight up through them as if they were only shadows of thorns, and not the real things ... as if they were nothing at all.

Above and away from the thorns, I sat in his huge hand and looked up at him, still shaking with fright - and now afraid he might be angry with me. But He smiled down at me, oh! so tenderly, and patted me on the head with his other hand. I had really never been up this close to him before, and I was thrilled. I was safe. Safer than I had ever been. And he wasn't angry! I could tell by the look on his face - in his eyes - that he loved me more than anything. Even though I was so much trouble.

He tucked me into the hollow of his arm, nestled into his soft white robe, and I began to relax for the first time. My trembling gradually subsided as I snuggled and fidgeted into the crook of his arm and my fear subsided. I took bigger and bigger sighs of relief, no long afraid to sigh, and I was so relieved and comfortable that I fell asleep in his arm as he walked along the path beside the beautiful green pasture. The tap, tap of his staff as it hit the ground alongside his steady, slow gait lulled me into a peaceful slumber.

I don't know how long I slept in the hollow of his arm, but I woke up and looked at him, up close, and just watched him. I was thrilled. I had never been this close to my shepherd before. He looked down at me and smiled. I felt so ridiculous to have gotten lost that way, but he just smiled and patted me on the head again. I could sense that he knew what I was thinking. "Don't worry, my little lamb, even when you think you're lost, you're not. I'm always right here. Always. Have no fear. You belong to me."

He gently sat me down on the dusty path beside him, looked lovingly down at me, took up his rod again, and said, "Just follow me." He set off with long slow strides, and I frolicked along behind, following him down the path by the quiet stream. Relaxed and safe, I looked at all the interesting things on both sides of the path, but was very, very careful not to lose sight of him again.

Now that I had seen my shepherd up close, I realized that nothing in life could ever again be more important than spending time getting to know everything about him.

I would follow Him anywhere.