Confident and Fearless

They do not fear bad news;

they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.

They are confident and fearless

And can face their foes triumphantly.

Psalm 112:7-8 (NLT)

            Bad news; it’s on the daily newscast, on social media, and it saturates our every-day life. It is impossible to go through one day without hearing about a shooting, some dreadful disease, storms that have ravaged communities, or a plunge in the stock market. Bad news permeates our world to the extent that most of us live with constant fear.

            And that’s exactly where the enemy wants us, isn’t it? His purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy. He is the father of lies. Just when we think we’ve finally turned a corner and life settles down, another tragedy hits or the devil whispers in our ear, “Does God really care?”

            Our future is unknown. As I write this devotion, the word ‘social distancing’ is part of every household. Thousands are in quarantine, due to the coronavirus. We live in constant fear that we, or someone we love, will be its next victim.

            Fear is not of God. What I mean by this is that God never speaks fear into our hearts; the devil does that. So, is it wrong to fear? Not necessarily. The emotion ‘fear’ is part and parcel of our humanness and living in a fallen world. Giving in to fear is where we make a choice. Do we allow fear to dominate our thoughts or do we surrender that fear to God, knowing He holds the future in His almighty hands? The more we focus on His omnipotence and His sovereignty, the more fear subsides and confidence increases. Because we know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that He will not allow anything to happen to His loved ones without His consent. Whatever happens today or tomorrow is under His control.

The world might be in chaos and nations are falling apart, yet those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying His commandments (vs 1) can remain confident and fearless. Not because we hide our heads in the sand, but because we face our foes triumphantly, knowing God is on our side!

Takeaway: Focus on God rather than circumstances

For further reading:

·         Psalm 46

·         Romans 8:35-39

·         Psalm 121

·         Psalm 131:2