Three-year-old Caitlin seemed oblivious to everything around her as she dug in the sand. However, if a wave got too close, she jumped and ran to safety.

Her brother and sisters were in the ocean, laughing as they welcomed incoming waves. But Caitlin kept her distance from tongues of water that threatened her security. She kept her distance, choosing to play safely in the sand.

However, on the third day at the beach, she summoned courage to brave the water and waves. She laughed as she stomped and splashed in the shallow water.

As she played, she held tightly to her daddy’s hand, moving closer to him when a wave approached. If a larger wave threatened, she stood still, holding her daddy’s hand until danger passed.

Her father was her shield, fortress, and shelter from the storm. Her frolicking was tempered only by her awareness of danger and tight grip on his hand.

I thought of Caitlin when I recently heard of a pastor that asked his congregation how many of them had become fearful because of the random attacks that are happening these days in unexpected places. Two thirds of those present raised their hands.

Two out of three people in the church are living in daily fear. And the percentage probably holds in other churches as well.

And yet, throughout Scripture, we’re told not to fear things of the world. In Psalm 118:6, the psalmist says, “The Lord is for me, I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

You may answer, “But men are doing terrible things to innocent people. What if I–or someone I love–is next?”

That was Caitlin’s reaction to the waves. Her fear of the waves kept her from enjoying the water for two days. What if the next one was too close, too big, or too (fill in the blank).

Like Caitlin, we can move beyond the bondage of fear and enjoy the moment.

To do that, we also need to cling to our father. Except, we need to look to our heavenly Father.

While holding His hand, we don’t need to fear the waves—or what man can do to us. He is our stronghold, our tower, defense, and deliverer. As long as we run to Him, He will guard us.

However, we’re not guaranteed safety just because we are God’s children. Because of sin, we are all partakers of pain and suffering, but we have a choice in how protected we are and how it affects us when tragedy does hit.

God warned us that, “When terror comes like a storm, and your destructions comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you, then they will call on me, but I will not answer: they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke” (Prov. 1:27-30).

As a nation, we have despised His counsel and set ourselves up for storms of destruction. We have set ourselves up for God to turn our back on us.

On the other hand, He also says He wants to guard and protect us.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! . . . I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, `Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'” (Lk. 13:34-35).

Caitlin was like a little chick. When she perceived danger, she ran under her father’s wings and held tight. When a particularly high wave approached, she positioned herself close to him on his far side from the wave and looked him in the eye for reassurance and guidance.

She trusted her father for safety. She enjoyed the water as long as she was by his side. 
And she never ventured out on her own.

We live in troubling times, but we don’t need to live in fear. We have a God who’s told us that He is with us. He said, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isa. 41:10).

God will uphold us, but we need to be sure that we look to Him. Then, we can rest secure and be at peace, even in troubling times.