When I Am Afraid
"When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4
November 14, 2015
Where were you on this day? Where were you the day before in the afternoon when the news of the terrorist attacks in Paris came your way? How were you five minutes after you first heard the news compared to before you had heard them? If you were like many of us, one of the feelings (among many) was probably fear. Fear that that can happen in our country. That has actually happened in our country so you probably did some mental comparisons with 9/11 and a few mass murders in our country.
How about now? Are you still afraid? Did you do as I did and say something like; "Well, I'm never traveling to Europe, that's for sure."? Maybe you are not afraid, or at least you are not willing to admit it even to yourself. But you realize the when this kind of attack comes closer to home than all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, you may then be afraid.
Fear is a normal reaction. It is expected and even a good thing to a point. It is good to fear evil and it is good to be afraid of danger - to a point. God allowed us the ability to fear and then he tells us to not be afraid. Over and over again in God's word we are told to not be afraid. Why? Because He loves us and wants us to love others. His love is perfect and perfect love casts out fear. So the writer of Psalm 56 says, "when I am afraid this is what I do". He puts his trust in God and does not trust his own understanding of things or his own ability to manage the fear. He praises the word of God. The result is that he understands that whatever man can do to him he will not be afraid but it will not ever, no never result in destruction. Even if it ends in suffering and death.
If your trust is in God, then the outcome of terrorist attacks when they come will be inconsequential to your eternal state. If you trust God, then the result of persecution for your faith will not result in your perishing. You will live in the care of God because he has promised you that outcome.
November 14, 2015
Where were you on this day? Where were you the day before in the afternoon when the news of the terrorist attacks in Paris came your way? How were you five minutes after you first heard the news compared to before you had heard them? If you were like many of us, one of the feelings (among many) was probably fear. Fear that that can happen in our country. That has actually happened in our country so you probably did some mental comparisons with 9/11 and a few mass murders in our country.
How about now? Are you still afraid? Did you do as I did and say something like; "Well, I'm never traveling to Europe, that's for sure."? Maybe you are not afraid, or at least you are not willing to admit it even to yourself. But you realize the when this kind of attack comes closer to home than all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, you may then be afraid.
Fear is a normal reaction. It is expected and even a good thing to a point. It is good to fear evil and it is good to be afraid of danger - to a point. God allowed us the ability to fear and then he tells us to not be afraid. Over and over again in God's word we are told to not be afraid. Why? Because He loves us and wants us to love others. His love is perfect and perfect love casts out fear. So the writer of Psalm 56 says, "when I am afraid this is what I do". He puts his trust in God and does not trust his own understanding of things or his own ability to manage the fear. He praises the word of God. The result is that he understands that whatever man can do to him he will not be afraid but it will not ever, no never result in destruction. Even if it ends in suffering and death.
If your trust is in God, then the outcome of terrorist attacks when they come will be inconsequential to your eternal state. If you trust God, then the result of persecution for your faith will not result in your perishing. You will live in the care of God because he has promised you that outcome.
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