Savannah was swinging outside, staring up at the new buds forming on the tree branches. Suddenly, she heard an angry chattering sound. A cute fluffy brown squirrel shot across the yard and climbed the nearest tree. Asia, Savannah's calico cat, darted after the squirrel, then sat at the base of the tree meowing pitifully. "Asia!" Savannah said, giggling. "Leave that poor squirrel alone!" She turned to her younger sister. "Bethany! Did you see Asia chase that squirrel?"
"Yeah!" Bethany grinned. "We almost had to rescue that squirrel just like we rescued that baby bunny last time!"
"Good thing we have trees in our yard that the squirrel can run to," Savannah said thoughtfully. "Hey! That reminds me of what Dad was talking about yesterday. When we get overwhelmed and scared by things in life, we can freeze in fear like that poor little bunny did, or we can run to Jesus--like that squirrel ran to the tree."
"Like that storm last night--that was scary," said Bethany. "The lightning was so close to our house! It made me think of the Bible story about the disciples getting caught in a storm. They must have been terrified to be on a boat during a storm like that!"
"And then to see what they thought was a ghost on top of that fear!" Savannah shook her head.
"I like how Jesus told them right away that it was Him walking on the water, and not a ghost," said Bethany. "He reminded them He was with them and not to be afraid, just like Dad reminded us that Jesus was with us in the storm last night."
"Peter actually got out of the boat and went walking to Jesus on the water! Of course, he got scared later when he saw the waves coming at him, but he did cry out for Jesus to save him," Savannah recalled.
"And Jesus saved him immediately!" Bethany yelled in excitement.
Savannah grinned at her younger sister. "I'm so glad we have a loving God we can run to whenever we're afraid. Jesus was there for Peter, and He'll be there for us because He saved us too."
The squirrel chattered from the safety of its tree branch, and Bethany laughed. "I think Mr. Fluffy Tail agrees!" Savannah Coleman
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you ever get frozen with fear? Whether it’s a test coming up at school or a thunderstorm, we all get scared at times. When you feel afraid, remember that you can always run to Jesus. He saved you from sin and promises to always be with you, even when bad or scary things happen. When a situation fills you with fear, trust Jesus to be with you and help you through it.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Psalm 46:1 (KJV)
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (NIV)