Have you heard any of the hundreds of Chuck Norris jokes that have been circulating in recent weeks? They include items like these: “Chuck Norris doesn’t do push-ups. He pushes the earth down.” Or “Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.” My favorite one comes to mind today, however, as I read this passage:
When the Bogeyman goes to bed, he checks the closet for Chuck Norris.
Anyone who has raised children has dealt with irrational fears. Of course, any of us who have been children have dealt with irrational fears as well. Kids will worry about the monster in the closet or under the bed. They’ll hear noises in the ceiling or down the hall. I used to be convinced that somebody lived secretly in our attic, and Alyson had a night of panic when she believed—and I’m not making this up—that Mickey and Minnie Mouse were outside her window.
What you want to tell kids who are dealing with night fears is that these are silly things to be afraid of. There are plenty of things in this world to cause you worry, but the Bogeyman isn’t among them. Kids could reasonably be afraid of global warming, escaped convicts, bird flu, nuclear war, or Chuck Norris, but not the monster under the bed.
I recently watched a Horatio Hornblower movie in which the British fleet sailed beneath the guns of a French shore battery that had supposedly been rendered harmless. The intrepid Admiral Pellew stood proudly on his flagship, smirking over at the silent French fortifications, and looked forward to a swift and easy victory. That smile, however, passed away quickly once the cannons opened up and the British ships began to be reduced to matchsticks. For a man on a wooden sailing ship, there are sensible things to fear. Cannon fire would be among these, as would fire and a leaky hull, all of which could result from the French bombardment. How a crewman could go about his duty calmly while shells exploded all around him, I’m not entirely clear, but I imagine that this calm comes from a trust that those in command and those all around will also do their duty to the best of their ability. A panicking man is no less a target than a calm one, but the calm one has a chance of turning the tide of battle.
That image seems useful to us as we face the fears of the world. God warned his people not to fear the Assyrians, but he didn’t say that the Assyrians were not dangerous. Indeed, the Assyrians could do a great deal of damage. Some of the people of Judah would fall to the attackers, but fear served no purpose.
God has never promised us that nothing bad will ever happen to us as believers. Unlike Walker Texas Ranger, God’s people don’t always win, but we can always trust that God is in control and will offer us his ultimate protection. That’s a promise that not even Chuck Norris can top.
Tune My Heart is primarily an aid to the devotional life of its author, Mark Browning, who holds the copyright for this material. It is provided online in hopes that some will find it edifying. All contents, unless otherwise noted, may be redistributed freely provided that you give credit for its origin and do not charge anything.