Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in His commands’ (Psalm 112:1)
Fear! The most crippling of human emotions.
Some of us are held in bondage all our lives by irrational fears. The list of phobias is almost endless (they seem to keep inventing new ones)!
All of which is to say that the human heart is subject to many fears.
Fear can rob us of our hope, it can destroy our confidence and make us slaves. Our hearts can be bound and restrained by the devil’s lies which seek to undermine and overwhelm us.
Of course some fears may be real and sensible. Many of us are naturally fearful at the moment, for our own health, and for the lives of our family and friends, not to mention people’s job security at this time.
But if we are Christians, there is only one thing that we really need to fear. And that not in the sense of dread or trepidation.
When we fear God (in the sense of revering Him with great awe and humility, trusting in Him, putting Him above all other things in our lives, recognising His holiness, and seeking to honour Him in our lives) then we don’t need to be governed by other fears. Faith drives out fear. If our confidence is in Christ we will not be dominated by fear.
‘Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in His commands’ (Psalm 112:1)
When we fear God in this sense, and humbly reverence Him in our lives, we are blessed indeed. The Bible tells us several times, ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom’ (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; Psalm111:10, etc)
This kind of godly fear and wisdom is expressed by delighting in God’s instruction in His word. So let’s dig deep into His word, and be ready to allow it to transform us. As one writer says, ‘Reverence for God and joy in Him flows into willing obedience.’[1]
Psalm 112 goes on to describe the character of the godly, reflecting the grace, kindness and generosity of God Himself. May we endeavour to show God’s love and care to those around us in these trying times.
And verses 6-8 assure us that when we fear God we need fear nothing else: ‘Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They have no fear of bad news; Their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear..’
If we are firmly trusting in Christ we should not be destabilised or terrified by challenging times. The psalmist is not saying that we will never receive bad news, but that our security is found in heartfelt trust. When we steadfastly trust in the Lord, we will find that our hearts are also supported and established by Him (‘secure’). He will uphold us in the midst of every trial.
So if we want to overcome our fears, look to God first. As the writer of one old hymn says, ‘Fear Him you saints, and you will then/ Have nothing else to fear.’[2]
Remember what God says to His people in Isaiah 41:10:
‘So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’
May the Lord uphold us all, and make our hearts secure in Him. Amen.