The Lord, our solid rock to lean upon

By Dean Collins

Long before you were born, God knew you would have moments and seasons where you would fear the worst. It is true for all of us. No matter how strong, how wise, how well disciplined you might be with your spiritual disciplines, there are situations that happen that induce fear. If all my readers were together in this moment, we would hear stories of the onset of a sudden illness, an unexpected betrayal, a job loss, a physical threat of violence, or possibly an accident. And in these moments, and many more that might come to mind, our mind suddenly feels fear.

Fear not

 Fear isn’t always a bad thing. Fear sometimes signals a danger that we can avoid if we take action. But fear can also rob us of experiencing the life we have. Unchecked fear can be consuming and leave us emotionally crippled, unable to manage the tasks and opportunities of daily life.

 Knowing that we would all face fears of various kinds, God, in his love and wisdom, included lots of stories where his children faced fearful situations. And in those moments, he consistently told us to “fear not.” Just as it is natural to feel fear, it is also possible to overcome our fears in and by our faith and confidence in God as our helper, our deliverer, and our victory.

 While there are numerous passages about fear in scripture, I will share just four that I have read recently in my daily reading plan.

Be strong

 Isaiah 35 describes a time in the future where God’s renewal and restoration is fully visible. It is a wonderful passage of hope that brings us assurance of things to come. In light of our sure future Isaiah challenges God’s beloved to “strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees.” The prophet is basically telling God’s people to do some spiritual exercise. Just as physical exercise and movement can strengthen our core, our legs, and arms to stand up and get going again, the daily practice of prayer and reading God’s promises also help us strengthen our faith and confidence that God has a plan and is working it out even now in and through our lives.

 Isaiah tells us: “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you!”

Know that God has a plan

Psalm 49 asks a question about why we should fear in times of trouble. The caution of this psalm has to do with where we put of trust and faith in times of trouble. This psalm describes some who place their hope in their wealth and resources to save them. And sometimes it is tempting for us to envy what someone else has and think that if we had those resources, we could buy safety and not have to fear certain things. The psalmist warns that in times of fear, envy of others and their resources will not give us any relief from our fears.

Victory is ours 

Psalm 118 anticipates the coming victory that is ours because of Jesus: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” As the psalm continues we learn that because of our victory that is assured through Christ, we can rejoice and be glad on this day, even if we are facing current difficulties. We know that because of Christ we have the ultimate victory. In this psalm we are reminded that awe and fear of the Almighty allows us to trust in his steadfast love in every situation. The psalmist wrote this powerful word of reminder:

 “Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord, I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord, I cut them off!”

 Knowing that we have victory in Christ, we can confidently call out to the Lord in moments of distress and fear and rest assured that the Lord is on our side and is a solid rock to lean upon. To trust in the Lord in times of fear is better than having any number of humans trying to help us. With God even mountains can be moved.

 Finally, we should consider the many times Jesus told us not to be anxious and fearful. Luke 12 opens with Jesus warning about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They were a powerful group that at times caused some to fear that they might fall out of their favor and possibly out of God’s favor. Losing the favor of the Pharisees had nothing to do with losing God’s favor.

 In this chapter, I think Jesus also anticipates that, whether it is harsh treatment from the Pharisees or maybe later persecution for following Jesus, two things are true:

1) The worst thing man can do to another is bring physical harm and even death. But death is not the worst thing because Jesus has given us victory over death.

2) If God cares for the sparrows, who in ancient times were worth pennies, then he certainly will care for those created in his image.

 Sometimes when we face our problems, we imagine the worst thing that might happen. And usually that trail leads to a loved one’s death or our own death.  And the truth is, we all understand that our death is an eventual part of our lives, and we would all prefer to live healthy and as long as possible. The reminder of scripture and from Jesus himself is that the most important thing is not to die outside of a relationship with God through Christ. When we know Jesus, we can be assured that he will be with us in everything we go through now, and he will be with us forever in eternity.  Because of his steadfast love we can rest in his grace and mercy and not live with any fear in the current moment.

 Father, thank you for understanding that fear comes to us from time to time. Thank you for your many promises that remind us of your love, your care, and that you listen to our prayers. Today we pray that we can rejoice in this day you have given, knowing that our sins are forgiven and that you are present with us in our current moments of stress. Thank you that you will remain with us all the way into eternity. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Isaiah 35:3-4; Psalm 49:5-13, 16-20; Psalm 118:1-29; Luke 12:4-7 ESV

Photo by Brett Jordan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/scrabble-tiles-on-the-white-background-7632532/ 
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