YOUR GREATEST FEAR
Opening Prayer
Bring your fears to God today and lay them at his feet.
Read Psalm 27
Of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Footnotes:
a Psalm 27:2 Or slander
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Reflect on what fearing God means for you. Does it banish other fears?It’s one thing to rejoice in God in the good times, when the sun is shining and everything is harmonious. It’s quite another to remain steady when under threat, being accused and feeling abandoned by those closest to you. David somehow manages to keep his head, calling his listeners to patient waiting and resilience (14). He does it by keeping his heart fixed on the Lord (8).
The temptation is to look elsewhere: to the threat posed by wicked people (2); to war waged against him (3); to possible breakdown of relationships (10). These could all, understandably, be causes for deep anxiety and for throwing in the towel. It’s not all water off a duck’s back to David. He feels the strain, crying to the Lord not to forsake him (9). But as he faces up to all the potential pitfalls, he reminds himself at every turn that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Fear is bred in the darkness but God is David’s light. Snarling evil contrasts with the Lord’s beauty. The Lord’s goodness overwhelms all malice. Nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ (Rom. 8:35). So, hang on.
Apply
Fear of others and of the future dictates much of our lives.
What can you do to get these fears into perspective for yourself and others? How can you choose to fear God more than people?
Closing prayer
God, I want to fear You only. Help me to walk boldly before You.
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