WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

God can remove every one of our fears and turn them into a stronger faith in His Word and presence. May God’s strength, peace and joy fill you as you begin the process with Him.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES             by Sally Bair

Facing man’s evils

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. (Psalm 91:5-6)

As kids, my twin sister and I feared the dark, arguing about who should go first down to our dark, dingy, scary basement to get one of Mom’s jars of home-canned berries.

All of us fear something. Night terrors include the evils of man: kidnapping, robbery, rape, murder and, today, terrorism. Such horrors cause us to shudder with fear, perhaps because we believe we’re responsible for protecting ourselves. Such thinking is an insidious trap that ensnares us, tempting us to forget God’s promises of protection. It allows our fear to keep us from operating in faith. But God’s Word says we need not be afraid. When we believe it, He will protect us from fear. When David faced the giant, Goliath, he knew God would protect him. Why? Because he believed in God’s promises.

Psalm 91 overflows with God’s promises. I encourage you to read it every day.

Besides night terrors, we may face “arrows,” such as rejection, that pierce our minds and emotions. Satan works hard to find our most vulnerable, most easily damaged spots to aim his arrows. It may be our short temper or our rebellious nature—areas where we struggle for control. But again, God says we need not fear Satan’s arrows.

Nor should we fear pestilences such as disease. Or, common sense aside, a host of germs invisible to our eye. When we find ourselves dwelling on such possibilities, we become more vulnerable to pestilences. God, however, has given us authority over our negative thoughts and emotions. Jesus said, “Away with you, Satan!” (Matthew 4:10), after Satan’s temptation to worship him instead of God the Father. We can use Jesus’ example, saying, “Get away from me, Satan!” to gain victory over our thoughts.

Psalm 91:6 mentions one more evil known to man, destruction. We’re all targets for such disasters as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes. Yet we need not fear them as did the disciples during a storm at sea. Jesus calmed the storm with a word. Then He rebuked the men for their lack of faith. Time after time, people have been saved from such disasters by speaking Psalm 91, believing God would deliver them.

Lord, thank You for the gift of faith. We choose to dwell in Your secret place of faith and prayer, knowing You will deliver us from all evil. In Jesus’ name, amen.