The Monster in the Cellar
Bible Reading: Judges 6:12-24
Author: Lori Stanley Roeleveld (Rhode Island, US)
Author: Lori Stanley Roeleveld (Rhode Island, US)
Thursday 21 May 2026 © The Upper Room.
When I was young, I was often afraid.
I dreaded dinnertime, when my mother sent me to the cellar to get a tin of vegetables. I was certain that a monster lurked there in the dark. Down the wobbly staircase I went, eyes wide, to find a tin of peas or sweet corn. Then I turned my back on the darkness, sure the monster would emerge to chase me up the stairs.
On the third step, I swallowed hard.
Halfway up, my heart began to thump.
At the tenth step, I couldn’t breathe. Finally, I dashed into the lighted kitchen, slammed the door behind me and collapsed with relief, having escaped the monster once again. ‘For goodness sake, Lori Ann!’ Mother rolled her eyes, exasperated with my drama, and then she heartlessly sent me back for something else.
Fear is a powerful emotion that affects heart rates, thoughts and actions.
Even as adults, we struggle against fears as big as death, as small as spiders or snakes, and as common as looking foolish. God reminds us that we have the responsibility and power not to be paralysed by fear.
If we focus our thoughts on Him, not on the monsters we imagine are stalking us, then like Gideon, we will find peace even in the midst of the battle.
Prayer: Dear Father, help us to focus our thoughts on Jesus so that we remain in control of our fears. Amen
