Fear No Evil
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, command me and comfort me, for I need both direction and consolation.
Read Psalm 64
1 Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;
protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
from the plots of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent;
they shoot suddenly, without fear.
5 They encourage each other in evil plans,
they talk about hiding their snares;
they say, “Who will see it?”
6 They plot injustice and say,
“We have devised a perfect plan!”
Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with his arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them
and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 All people will fear;
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.
10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him;
all the upright in heart will glory in him!
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“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?” (Psa. 27:1).
Think Further
Terrorism, as a weapon, uses secret plots and unexpected violent attacks to create fear and uncertainty and to wreak havoc among perceived enemies. Its use is not confined to the modern world. This psalm, like its predecessor, was possibly written by David at the time of Absalom’s rebellion. For six verses, the writer expresses his terror, as his opponents’ treachery has suddenly become apparent and he realizes that the evil conspirators are plotting to take his life. They are not using bombs or suicide vests but words as sharp as swords and cruel as arrows (3). For four years Absalom had used boasting words of flattery and deceit to cunningly steal “the hearts of the people of Israel” (2 Sam. 15:6). Now his large following was threatening to ambush David in what the followers considered was the perfect plan to install Absalom as king.
In the midst of his fear, David cries out to God to hear and protect him. Suddenly, in less than two verses (7,8a), the tables are turned and the enemies are struck down by their own words, which God uses to bring them to ruin. Then their situation becomes the laughingstock of onlookers, who recognize God’s hand of judgment, as well as becomes a cause for rejoicing by the upright who glory in him.
Today we live in evil times, where many of those reading these notes experience verbal or physical threats to life and safety. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by anxiety and paralyzed by fear. This psalm encourages us to express our concerns to God, knowing that he is the God of reversals. He will act to vindicate his name and bring deliverance for those who worship and fear him. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear evil, for God’s comforting presence is with us (Psa. 23:4).
Apply
What are your greatest fears? Tell God all about them and claim his strong presence to take away that fear.
Closing prayer
Intervening God, I rejoice in the truth that You can turn things around for me. If I didn’t know that, I would be in despair. I bless Your name.
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