Should We Be Afraid?
The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. Psalm 27:1–3 (NLT)
David lived a life filled with danger. He faced many life-and-death situations where he had to overcome his fears. Fear can paralyze us; if not dealt with, it can render us useless. Regarding action and adventure, fictional characters like Indiana Jones had nothing on David. As a young boy, he faced a lion and a bear while tending to his father’s sheep.
As a teenager, he stood up to the giant from Gath alone, and in the strength of the Lord, he defeated Goliath. Later, it was said of David, “Saul had killed his thousands, but David has killed his tens of thousands.” Not many of us could relate to David’s courage and gallantry.
With a life like that, it might be tempting to say that it was easy for David to have such confidence in God that he could say, “The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” And while David had his moments of fear and anxiety, it was a process that took place over many years that allowed him to build his trust and confidence in God.
We Shouldn’t Fear Death
The fear of death is something that many people face. As Christians, we have the hope of eternal life, but those without hope live with fear and uncertainty. Listen to what the writer of the Hebrews tells us about what Christ did for us to free us from the fear of death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death. Hebrews 2:14b-15 (The Message)
Again, the psalmist speaks of the fear of death: My insides are turned inside out; specters of death have me down. I shake with fear, I shudder from head to foot. Psalm 55:4-5 (The Message)
Remember that the “one whom the Son sets free is truly free.” To be effective, we must understand this and live in victory. The most effective thing we can do is to come to the place where we have complete and total trust in God regardless of the circumstances around us or the doubts within us. The apostle Paul said, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Don’t Fear Life
Death should hold no sway in the life of a believer. We should understand that we have passed from death to life. But for some, even if they have overcome the fear of death through the hope that Jesus gives, they are still bothered and worried by fears related to living. I repeat, don’t fear life.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Matthew 6:25-27 (NLT)
Our welfare does not depend upon the stock market, nor is our happiness dependent upon the price of goods and services. For those who do not have hope in God, there are many reasons to be fearful in this world. For some, it seems as though everything is a pending disaster. We would be much better off if we turned off the news.
Jesus spoke of a time when men’s hearts would fail them because of fear. According to those who bring us our news, we are in danger of natural disasters and man-made disasters. There is crime and terrorism, threats and fears about the economy, disease, not to mention the moral and spiritual direction of our country and world.
But God tells us not to fear life because he is here and ready to help. Again, the psalmist observes God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Psalm 46:1-3 (NLT)
Have Confident Trust In God
Finally, the most effective way to overcome fear is to have confidence and trust in God. Noah believed God, and God rescued him. Abraham trusted in God, and God credited it to him as righteousness.
Joseph, Moses, and David, among others, had a confident trust in God when the world was going against them at times. Among my favorites are the three young Hebrew men who trusted in God in the face of death.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 (The Message)
It is okay to be afraid when we understand that we can come to him because we trust him and are confident that he cares for us. We are more effective when we live by faith and not by fear. Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT)
The answer to our question is that we should not be afraid if we trust God.
Steve Ekeroth
I believe this is a strong New Testament truth. Jesus often said to others “Fear not.” Peter when he stepped out of the boat during a storm gave us an example of trusting Jesus more than circumstances. But it is not easy as we are human and Smith Wigglesworth’s reminder to us “I am a million times bigger on the inside than on the outside” is helpful at this point. And finally, since God is a God of compassion, we can call on him when we are afraid, and he will intervene. He knows our frame.
John 6:16-21 is another account of Jesus walking on the water and then entering the boat. In verse 20 he calls himself the I AM (in Greek). WOW! This was the first sermon I ever preached in my early days called “Is Jesus in Your Boat?” Note the boat supernaturally landed in the next verse to the surprise of people. That’s OUR JESUS.
This is a beautiful piece on not being fearful because of our trust in God and as I read through scripture I see the command to not be afraid reinforced time and time again. I believe that is because of our natural inclination to become afraid in the face of overwhelming circumstances and situations. I don’t think anyone one of us, no matter how strong our faith, can realistically say we have not been afraid at some point or the other. The idea however, is to develop an abiding trust in God and a sense that in whatever situation, He is Immanuel.
That said, I refer to the initial email in which the author condescendingly asks, of people taking basic precautions to protect their health and well being in the face of a recognized public health situation: “What are you afraid of?” While I am certainly not afraid of death, because like the Apostle Paul, to live is Christ and to die is gain, I also believe in the Proverb that says: “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Maybe no one close to you suffered terribly through the pandemic by God’s grace but I know a lot of good people who suffered and others who died leaving their families in distress. Some of them had the same perspective of faith over fear, so they refused to take the precautions. Maybe you think (like the conspiracy theorists) the whole thing was a governmental control exercise (and maybe it was). But life is full of dangers, toils and snares; God has given us the command to not live in fear. He has also given us common sense to avoid danger if we can. Blessings.
Excellent reminder
Good word. Good reminder. We all need to be ministered from time to time. Thank you Brother Ekeroth for your faithfulness to God’s work.