5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. 6 With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. Psalms 118: 5 - 9 RSV
We live in a world with no shortage of things to be afraid of. Some who are without work, are afraid they will not find a job. Many people with jobs live in fear that they will lose them. Many people fear what the president will do, while many others fear what he won’t be able to do. During the Cold War, we feared the sudden, out of the blue nuclear attack. Today, many fear an overheated, gradual climatological disaster.
Since fear comes so naturally to us, along with fears are those who feed from them. How many charities and quasi-charities and societies and special funds and businesses exist dedicated to the mission of, for a price, helping you to feel like you are “doing something” to fight your fears? For just $15 you can help save the animals, save the forests, save the planet. For a fee you can learn how to get the best job ever, or leave your job and work from home, or earn income passively while you sleep and never have to work again, thus relieving yourself of that fear forever. None of this works for long, if it works at all.
But the Bible teaches us a better way, a simpler way, a way that costs us nothing. All we must do is look to our Maker and call upon the Lord, as righteous kings and commoners have done from the beginning. With the Lord on our side, we will not fear. If we call upon the Lord, he will set us free. Billionaires and beggars both have fears, and both can only obtain freedom from fear one way, which is to call upon the Lord who made them.
PRAYER: Our Lord, I call upon you to set me free from fear. Help me to know that I walk in your presence always, that you will hold me, and protect me, and guide me. You are my protector and the source of my life and destiny from the beginning. Give me peace while I engage in the work you have set before me. In your holy name I pray, Amen.
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Authored by: Jeffery D. Kooistra