Fear No Evil

David, the beloved, the killer, the deceiver, the forgiven, the king, wrote this:

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
 ³ he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

I am amazed by the power in this message, amazed by David's faith. There are many psalms that call on the Lord to guard David from his enemies, but this one offers such powerful belief in the power and love of God. Lately, I have been wrestling with fear. Fear of all kinds. Fear to step out and make a difference. Fear to speak out and look like a fool in the eyes of this world. But most of all, fear of going to bed alone. 

I literally have to convince myself to go to sleep, to keep the lights off and my eyes closed. I fear evil in the hearts of men, who plan to steal, kill, and destroy. Sounds familiar, almost as if I fear the workings of the devil. I want to grow in faith enough to speak as David did. To say that I know my God well enough and trust in him enough to perpetually lie down in peaceful green pastures and fear NO evil.

I think I have focused too much on trying to make it happen myself. So I have given it to God. I ask for strength and growth in faith, so that I can find peace and solace at home instead of anxiety and inner turmoil.

More verses that squash fear and inspire faith:
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)

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? (Psalm 27:1)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

 

So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can Man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)

Good point - what can man do to me that my God couldn't stop or prevent? God is all powerful and all capable. I insult his supreme power to put him in such a limiting role in this world. The devil may have the ability to roam this world, but he is definitely not as powerful as my God. 

 

Joyce Meyer explains courage as a sign of maturity. That as we continue to experience God and see how he takes care of us, making sure we have all we need, then we begin to relax and do not have the same fears as before. She explains that fear is Satan's way of distracting us and probably, this is me talking, his way of making us doubt God as well. Meyers writes, "Anytime trouble comes fear is usually the first thing we feel. Satan injects "what if" thoughts into our head, and we often begin to see the worst possible outcome. As soon as that happens, we should realize what is going on - Satan is trying to keep us from going forward in God's will and good plan for our lives." Taking that to mind, I just want to say: the devil has no jurisdiction or stronghold hear on my soul or heart. He is banished by the name of Jesus. Banished. And with him, fear.