Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid?

Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid?

Fear can serve us well. A young man I knew died in a car accident, at least in part, because he chose not to wear his seatbelt. His overconfidence contributed to a fatal accident. A friend fell into immorality and was part of the destruction of two marriages because he did not respect the power of his desires, mistakenly believing he could flirt without falling into sin! He boasted of his strength of faith and character. Several months later, he left his family for his lover. There is encouragement and warning in this passage. "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:12-13, NIV)  Have a healthy respect for the spiritual dangers that lurk just around the corner, but don’t be paralyzed with fear because God has a plan.

One of God’s blessings is allowing difficulties that cause us to realize our dependence on Him. We have a few good days and a subtle deception slips into our mind that we have it all under control, that we are ready to fly solo. But, we are not! I parent three teenage boys who do not understand why I insist on knowing what they are up to. They don’t even know what they do not know about life! Our Abba loves us like that. He cares about us, not because He wants to control us, but because His desire is to guide us to rich, full lives.  A familiar proverb is one we should relearn and keep in mind. "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7, NLT)

God’s kids need not be timid or fearful of life itself. There are plenty of threats around. War, sickness, and financial ruin are very real. In my lifetime, I have never known a time of greater uncertainty about the future.  But, I will not be afraid of those things. If I allow myself to become anxious about tomorrow, the healthy fear of the Lord will be eclipsed by a debilitating kind of fear.  This passage resonates with me today.  "The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary." (Isaiah 8:11-14, NIV)  

Disciple, are you fearful?
Is it a healthy fear of the Lord or a sickening dread of ‘what if’ in this life?

Meditate on this Psalm for a few moments today. Let the truth reorient you to the fear of the Lord and in it, may you find great peace.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." (Psalm 27:1-5, NIV)