Because You're with me,

I will not fear.

I think it would be difficult to find words that are more beautiful than these. The picture of having that kind of relationship with God Himself - it's hard to grasp just how great that really is. He is with us. He helps us, protects us. And we have nothing to fear in the whole Earth. That kind of relationship has to be one of complete trust. In a way, trust is the opposite of fear. Trust means we are safe. Think of this:

One of the greatest examples of this complete trust, at least in my mind, is in a father driving his daughter. It might sound weird, but picture a young girl, maybe 3 years old, in the back seat of a car (for some reason I picture a big van), sound asleep. It's night, and the only sound is the soft hiss of the tires on the pavement. The only person awake in the car is the driver, the father. He has complete control over what the car does and where it goes. Even though this is something that would happen in a normal day in a normal family, I think there are a lot of extremely beautiful things going on. There has to be a huge amount of trust in this situation.

If you don't trust someone, it's very hard to fall asleep while you're even in their presence, much less a passenger in their car, when the slightest twitch of their hand could mean death. Sleeping means you are making yourself completely vulnerable, acknowledging that you know the person will not harm you or take advantage of you in any way. She trusts her dad's hands to be steady and sure. It's dark outside, and the girl has no idea where she is, but there is not even a hint of worry because she knows that her dad is taking her home, taking her directly to her warm bed and to comfort and safety.

Where there is high trust, there is high freedom. She is free to let her little mind wander, free to rest, to sleep without any fear at all. She knows that her dad is focused on bringing her home quickly and safely. How strong of a bond would this be between a loving father and his dear little daughter? Worry or fear is the farthest thing from that little girl's mind, and the father wants nothing more than to keep it that way. He would protect her no matter what, he takes joy in knowing that she feels safe with him, that she trusts him, and he loves her. He handles the car with great care, not wanting to take any turn too sharp or too fast because it might startle his daughter or make her uncomfortable. He stops slowly and smoothly, taking his time and enjoying the quiet drive. And when they get home, he carefully and gently picks her up out of the seat and carries her inside, where she knew he was taking her all along.

There is always more to say, but I think you get the idea. I look forward to the possibility of being the father in that car some day.

Be encouraged knowing that God is with us. We have hope, no matter what. He does love us, and He will bring us home. Be humbled and give thanks for the unbelievable amount of blessings we have.. it's seriously so much.