“I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)
We fear all kinds of things. We often fear the unknown. Many fear change, and change can be a move from the known to the unknown. We may fear to lose control of our life or some part of our life, although, if we’re honest, there isn’t much in our lives over which we do have a great deal of control. Not long ago the “popular” fear seemed to be the fear of active shooters and terrorists. Of course, today the common fear is the fear of “the virus.” Soon something else will become the popular fear. There is always something out there to feed our fears.
This verse from the Psalms tells us that the psalmist, David, had fears. David recounts three actions that took place.
First, David sought the Lord. This is an act that the Bible tells us is required. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer29:13) “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Mt 6:33) “Seek the things that are above.” (Col 1:3) This requires an effort on our part, an effort directed by the Holy Spirit, but we must obey and seek.
Second, when we seek the Lord, we know that He hears us. “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (I Jn 5:14)
Third, He delivered me from all my fears. When we know the perfect love that God has for us, and when we return that love, we experience the truth that “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (I Jn 4:18) Remember, though, it is God who delivers us from our fear; this action is His.
We must seek the Lord. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us. In that intimate relationship, we know that God hears us. And when He hears us, the perfect love that He shares with us casts out all fear. That doesn’t mean that all of the unpleasant, scary things out there will disappear. It does mean that we can rely on His strength, His care, and His love to lead us through all of the obstacles and challenges of this life. Amen.
Pastor Haney
