Psalm 118:5-6

When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; He brought me into a spacious place.

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

The Duke of Wellington said: “The only thing I am afraid of is fear.” He had good reason to say this. Doctors tell us that fear can have a huge effect on our lives. It can lead to accelerated ageing and even premature death.

The psalmist knew all about fear. He reflected on the experience of being surrounded by hostile nations. He graphically described them as swarming around him like bees, and they did their best to kill him (Psalm 118:10-13). Such experiences are far away for the majority of us but, whoever we are, we all face scary situations. Perhaps it’s a health issue, or concerns about our families, our work or our finances. When fear takes hold, it can have devastating effects, so we need to listen carefully to the psalmist.

The fundamental discovery of the psalmist was that God was stronger than his opponents. Powerful as they were, God was stronger. He was able to put his human threats in a proper perspective and concluded today’s verse with a rhetorical question: “What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6). He didn’t need to be afraid because of the absolute security that he had in God.

Life will throw many challenges at us. There is no way in which we can avoid them. But, if we give our lives to God, we don’t ever need to be fearful.

Question

What do you do when you are tempted to be fearful?

Prayer

Lord God, I praise You that I can look to the future with confidence because of Your constant presence with me. Amen