Fear Less
Today’s Verse:
I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. ~Psalm 34:4
As I write this devotion, our world is in a pandemic crisis. There is a lot of fear in our world right now. There is the fear of contracting the virus. There is the fear of job loss and financial loss. There is the fear of dying. Fear is torment. Fear disables and depresses. However, fear can be overcome. You can fear less. David teaches us a powerful lesson on what to do with our fears.
We see the anxiety.
Anxiety is when we are overcome with dark thoughts, a heavy heart, and much worry. There is mourning in anxiety. “This poor man cried.” There is misery in anxiety. David spoke about all his fears and all his troubles. Anxiety can be manifold. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” We fear for our mortality in anxiety. David was running from Saul. David thought that he would die at the hand of Saul. David was living in constant fear. He wanted an escape, but he realized that his fear went with him wherever he went. Fear leads to anxiety, and our anxiety can be traced to our fear.
We see the antidote.
God has a cure for our fears and worry. There must be heartfelt prayer. David said, “I sought the LORD.” He said, “The righteous cry.” Philippians 4:6 exhorts us to not be overcome with anxious care, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, to let our requests be made known to God. There must be honest penitence. David speaks about the Lord being near to those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. God shows us sins that we must confess and that worry itself can result in sin. There must be humble poverty. “This poor man cried.” David became poor in spirit. He was broken, and he realized that this is where he needed to be in order for God to hear him. There must be hopeful persuasion. David had to replace his fear with faith. He had to change from being terrorized by fear to being transformed through faith.
We see the answer.
The Lord heard David and delivered him from all his fears. David looked to the Lord and was lightened. The Lord saved him out of all his troubles. God heard David when he cried out to Him. God hears you and me when we cry unto Him. The greatest demonstration of God’s power in our lives is when we are overwhelmed with fear, our backs are against the wall, and we do not know what to do or where to go. God never fails to come to our aid when we need Him the most. We must come to the end of ourselves and believe that God will get us through the situation. God took away David’s fears.
We see the anticipation.
There is the anticipation of daily protection from the angel of the Lord, who “encampeth round about them that fear him.” There is the anticipation that our faces will be lightened or encouraged when we get our eyes on the Lord and not on our situation. There is the anticipation of testifying that the Lord is good. David was thankful God trusted him with this unusual trial. David encouraged everyone who has fear to taste and see that the Lord is good. He exclaimed that the Lord delivers His faithful servants from all their afflictions.
Instead of your fears controlling you, why don’t you let God control your fears? He watches and listens for us when we cry out to Him. Fear less, and have faith in God completely.
Have a “fear less” God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Samuel 8-12