Of David. 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?
Psalm 27:1
Even within the church, we often get sucked into the fear-mongering that is so obnoxiously invading our homes through every form of media. Often these messages of fear come from pulpits that declare that if you don’t vote for this person or against that person that your freedoms, the lives of your children, and very existence are in danger.
My friends, this should not be.
David challenges us to ask the question, “Whom shall I fear?” I do not fear any elected representative. Yes, it is possible that they will make life difficult. Nero, while not elected definitely made life hard for Paul. Yet I don’t see Paul quivering and encouraging people to march on Rome. When Jesus was warned about Herod, He did not respond in fear. He in essence says, “Tell Herod where I am going to be; If he wants Me, come and get me.” Jesus knew just as David had declared, “The Lord is the Stronghold of my life.”
If we lived as if God really was the stronghold, would we be nervous about what is being reported in social media? Part of the challenge in our modern community is that we love our comfort. The early church had no such concerns.
Comfort was not part of their everyday existence. For many in the church in Muslim countries or in China or many other places, taking time to pray in public is simply not even considered because it will lead to jail time or even execution. In America, we gripe and complain and get concerned that people don’t say Merry Christmas back to us, and we want to make a federal case about it.
Trust in God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
He is a fortress. He is a warrior fighting on your behalf. With God on my side, I can take on legions of enemies and still come away unscathed. I will fear no man.
