Fearless

The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! (Psalm 111:7-10 ESV). Today we take up another wonderful benefit of the resurrection. The victory of Jesus over death, proven by the resurrection, should bring us to a position of strength in the face of fear and anxiety. Even the most committed believer has those moments when fear or worry can rise in their lives. Anxiety is a part of the common experience of man. Maybe we are concerned about our future, or maybe we are discouraged about some things we have done or failures we've experienced. I have found that I am often afraid of the wrong things in life. The real issue is not fearing the right things. Many people don't fear God. Yet the Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To fear God doesn't mean that we must cower in terror before Him. Rather, the fear of God has been properly defined as a wholesome dread of displeasing Him. So if I have sinned, my fear should not be based on the anticipation of what God will do to me, but on what I have done to displease Him. That is what it is to fear the Lord. It is to love the Lord so much that you don't want to sin against Him. In The Chronicles of Narnia, an allegory by C.S. Lewis, the author has two girls, Susan and Lucy, getting ready to meet Aslan the lion, who represents Christ. Two talking animals, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, prepare the children for the encounter. "Ooh," said Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." "That you will, dearie." said Mrs. Beaver. "And make no mistake, if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knee's knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly." “Then isn't he safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell you!" We need to fear God. The remarkable thing is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else. On the other hand, if you do not fear God, then you fear everything else. This is certainly what David reminds us of in our reading today. So, if you feel that your life has been a failure, or you are discouraged about something, or afraid of something; if you're gripped by fear and worry today, then let the Lord be the strength of your life. He is good!