Fear not!

“Fear makes you faithless, faith makes you fearless.” The statement - attributed to an anonymous source - appeared in my Facebook news feed, posted by a friend in a status update. But the words gave me pause, compelling me to stop my mindless scrolling. I read the words over again. Then again. I shut my laptop; this was a thought worth pondering for a while.

I hear the same sentiment in the words of Psalm 11, a psalm attributed to David. David certainly knew a thing or two about both fear and faith. Scripture tells us that as a young man, he defeated lions and bears, and a giant Philistine named Goliath, armed only with a slingshot and his confidence in God.

“In the Lord I take refuge,” exclaims verse 1 of this hymn of ancient Israel, so, “How then can you say to me: Flee like a bird to your mountain?” There need be no flight to higher ground for the one whose trust is in the Lord, no matter how scary the opposition may seem.

We may never have to fight wild beasts or lurking, shadowed enemies armed with bows and arrows. But our foes can be just as ferocious: illness, job loss, financial troubles, the heartache of broken relationships, the pain of seeing loved ones turn away from God.

And yet, this psalm reminds us we need not fear.

Verse 4 explains why. “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.” God is sovereign. He is where he has always been, watching over his creation. He knows everything we do, because he sees it all, including the motivations of mortal hearts.

And because God “is righteous, he loves justice" (verse 7), then, as we, like the psalmist, put our confidence in God, we need never fear.

Respond in Prayer

Almighty God, you are Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Help me to place my trust in you, that I may have courage to face the challenges that come my way, rising above circumstances rather than being defeated by them. For I ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Patricia Paddey

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®).