If the Foundations are Destroyed (part 2)
Be Trusting, Not Fearful
Psalm 11:3 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Part 2)
Be Trusting, Not Fearful
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? Psalm 56:3-4
Do Not Fear
For years, I’ve heard the statement that the Bible contains 365 commands not to fear – one for every day of the year. While it’s a comforting thought, it’s evidently not true. According to the word search feature on my computer’s Bible program, the words fear, afraid¸ frightened and anxious appear about 600 times. However, once we add a negative qualifier (“fear not”...“do not be afraid”...“do not be anxious”), the number of prohibitions falls to just over 100 – including these familiar favorites:
· Isaiah 41:10 [Fear] not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
· John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
· Philippians 4:6 [Do] not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
While we must put the 365 rumors to rest, 100+ commands is still a considerable number – which begs the question, “Why do we need so many?” Because fear is a natural response to a dangerous world. And in that respect, some fears are actually good for us. For example, the fear of falling or the fear of pain can be beneficial because they encourage caution and keep us out of harm’s way. And, of course, the Bible commands us to “fear the Lord our God, for our good always” (Deuteronomy 6:24), and tells us that we ought to fear “not entering His rest” (Hebrews 4:1) by refusing to believe the promises of God.
So what type of fear is forbidden? God forbids the paralyzing emotion which causes us to doubt Him, lose faith in His Word, panic, act rashly, or compromise with evil. He wants us to overcome the fear of ridicule, reprisal, or ostracism which silences our voice when we need to defend our faith (Luke 12:11-12). He wants us to rise above the debilitating panic that led Peter to deny Christ three times (John 18:15-27).
Trust Him
As Psalm 56:3-4 tells us, the antidote to fear is trust: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid ….” In choosing the word when not if, the psalmist acknowledges that life provides plenty of opportunities to be afraid. Money problems, health problems, family problems, and work problems – all can give birth to a terrifying helplessness when we lack the wisdom, resources, or power to solve them.
Furthermore, in keeping with the theme of this series, godly Americans can become overly anxious regarding the future of our country as we watch the news and see Paul’s words springing to life (2 Timothy 3:1-5):
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power….
Regardless of the reason, when we find ourselves grappling with fear, we must break its hold by trusting God. He is the One who created and saved us; who promises never to leave or forsake us; and who exchanges His strength for our weakness. Our Lord loves us more than we can imagine; and in His hands, we are absolutely secure (Isaiah 43:15; Acts 13:23; Hebrews 13:5; 2 Corinthians 12:10; Romans 8:38-39; John 10:28). Because of His steadfast love and faithfulness (Psalm 57:3), we can safely cast our anxieties on Him “because He cares” (1 Peter 5:7). God really is on our side (Psalm 124).
What Flesh Cannot Do
God’s care for us, however, does not guarantee a danger-free life. For the past few years, news reports coming out of Iraq, Syria, Egypt, North Korea, and Nigeria have shown that this world can be a deadly place for Christians.
Yet the end of Psalm 56:4 asks this question: What can flesh do to me? The answer, of course, is “nothing the Sovereign Lord has not allowed for your ultimate good.”
Eventually, we all die. However, some of us, by the grace of God, are given the privilege of dying a martyr’s death – as did 21 Egyptian Christians who proclaimed Jesus as Lord before they were beheaded back in 2015. While God’s enemies ended their earthly life, they could not end their eternal life (John 10:28) – nor could the murderers prevent the glorious homecoming waiting on the other side, where Jesus had already prepared a place for His faithful followers (John 14:1-3). I believe Christians in America need to learn from their courageous example; because if anti-Christian sentiments continue to escalate here (as we’ve seen in recent years), we may one day face similar dangers.
While the Lord yet stays His hand of judgment against America, God-fearing Christians must use this time to develop a radical trust in the Lord. We need to let the words of Corrie ten Boom sink deep roots into our consciousness: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” If we don’t, we’ll faint in the midst of the spiritual battle. We will fail to have the kind of witness which provokes unbelievers to ask why we have hope when everything is falling apart (1 Peter 3:15). We will fail our Lord when it matters most – something we should fear above all else in this life.
Next Steps: What are you afraid of today? Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:26-33. Meditate on the meaning of these words and claim them by faith. Then, pray: “Lord, I choose to trust you about ______ rather than being afraid. Thank you, Lord, for taking care of this problem. May Your will be done.”