What do I fear? Where is my comfort?
Psalm 119:
109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.
113 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.
114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.
118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.
119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.
God so very often gives us these comforts of knowing that he is our shelter and our stay. My question today are what do I fear and where is my comfort?
We are guaranteed trouble in this world:
Matthew 6:34: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
But we are also guaranteed that we have a Father that is our Shepherd and our protector.
Psalm 27:
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
Think about it, what do I really have to fear? My greatest fear should be disappointing my Creator, Savior, and Friend. All other fears should just melt away. I am reminded of one night with my son. When my son was younger he was very afraid of the dark. I was trying to help him overcome his fear by showing him that nothing really changes when we turn off the lights.
One night we were having our bedtime routine. I said to him, “Ok, Colton, tonight you will turn off the light.” He responded in fear, “No mommy, I can’t! It will be dark, I will be scared!” I tried to reassure him that there was nothing to fear. The room is the same room in the dark as it is in the light, I told him. After much cajoling he agreed. He crept over to the light switch; turned it off; and then performed that super human feat all kids do by leaping from the light switch to the bed. He nestled up close to me and I noticed he was crying. I said to him, “Colton I am very proud of you, you were very brave.” He said, “Mommy, I was not brave, I was scared.” My heart was full for him. I told him, “Buddy, being brave doesn’t mean you are not scared. Being brave means you do what you need to do even though you are scared.”
I wish I had been more scripturally minded at the time. I would have shown him these passages. I would have shown him that we really have NOTHING to fear. God wants us to know that even though ALL the evil in the world WILL assail us, HE will NEVER leave us. He is our comfort. He is our provider. He is our protector. The founders of our nation KNEW this! Patrick Henry said,
“Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.”
He knew his comfort was in the Lord. He knew that we are never alone. We are guaranteed to experience evil. But we will suffer instead of rejoice if we do not keep the proper perspective.
John 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.