No Fear

 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

Yesterday at church we sang a song that brings me back to when my boys were little: You Never Let Go.  This song was written by Matt and Beth Redman and released in 2006.  It was a very regular tune in our evening rotation.  See, when our sons were little boys, they used to fall asleep to music...I think they still do...it's just that we don't get to pick the songs anymore.  Back then, though, when they were little, we had a stack of CDs...I know...that we rotated through, and that's how we first knew about Matt Redman.  Then, when Grant went to NCCA, this song came out and it became a staple.  

What I didn't know then, and I found out years later, was that the song contains inspiration straight from Psalm 27 verse 1.  The song says:

And I will fear no evil 

For my God is with me 

And if my God is with me 

Whom then shall I fear? 

Whom then shall I fear?

How comforting it is to know that since Our Almighty God is with us...there's nothing we need to fear? The mind plays tricks on us...and it believes whatever we feed it, good and bad...it is no wonder that Paul tells us to focus on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)  If we do not...if we allow our minds to wander into the thoughts of worry, calamity, what ifs, future adversity, upcoming doom...our souls will harbor nothing but fear.  Therefore, we must make it a habit to refocus and fix our eyes on the Only One who can  drive away the terror this world can instill in our hearts: Jesus the Christ! And where do we find Him?  First and foremost in Scripture.  So, whatever directs our path to the Word, that's what we should use as our guide.

Like my devotional reading said today:  "approach each new day with desire to find Me." (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young).  And we find Him when we look with eyes that are guided by His Love Letter to us:  The Bible.

The world may seem wrecked and doomed.  But, He hasn't abandoned it...and He hasn't abandoned us.  Let's make it a habit to visit with Our Lord in Scripture every day...Let's allow The Word to remind us that He is the Light of Our Salvation, and that there is nothing we need to fear.  I hope my sons were reminded of that when they sang the familiar tune at church yesterday.  I hope they felt a renewed sense of peace in their hearts, and strength to continue on, guarded by the knowledge that Our God is with us, and if He is with us, whom then shall we fear?

In the Precious Name of Jesus.  Amen!