April 9, 2016 I WILL FEAR NO EVIL
Psalms 23:4: “I fear no evil, for Thou art with me.”
(Some of the following thoughts come from “Act Like A Man” by Peter Parris.) Because David knew that the Lord was with him, he would fear no evil even when he walked through the valley of the shadow of death. Under the new covenant, not only is the Lord “with” us; He is in us. James tells us that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. James is not saying that the Lord is somewhere else or that He goes and comes, but is saying that we can lose the sense of His nearness. It should be our desire to always be increasing in the awareness of His presence. When we are aware of His presence, in the place of uncertainty, anxiety and fear; we have confidence, peace and boldness. We have been made alive to God and have been joined to Him and we can now enjoy His presence no matter what circumstances we face. The nearness of God does not take away all trials and hardships, but it does mean that because of His nearness, we can have the assurance that He is sufficient for whatever we face. Because of our union with Him, we should avoid any behavior or thoughts that would hinder our experiencing and enjoying His presence. There is much that could cause us to experience fear: fear of sickness and death; fear of being alone; fear of lack of provision; fear of being unemployed; fear of having relationships broken; fear of failure; and the list could go on. The antidote to all fear is the awareness of His presence. Our God is all-knowing; all powerful; ever present; all caring; all loving; all wisdom, and He desires that we know and experience His presence. Just like getting to know someone as a friend, we must spend time with that person getting to know them. Knowing and experiencing the nearness of the Lord is not automatic, but comes as we spend time with Him, getting to know Him. We have been given the word of God, and the Holy Spirit to help us understand the word of God, as a means of getting to know God. A key ingredient to getting to know God is believing what we read in the word and then acting on it. The scriptures reveal the nature and character of God and in a very sense, they are the door way that leads to knowing God. The more we come to know God, the more we see just how great and awesome He is. He has promised to never leave or forsake us-and that is a promise that takes us through any storm. So, when fear knocks on our door, let us not open the door. Instead, let us be reminded that our God is near and He is more than able to defeat any enemy we face and equip us for any circumstance. Let us not live without knowing the nearness of God.
Psalm 16:8: “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is t my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalm 73:28: “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Psalms 23:4: “I fear no evil, for Thou art with me.”
(Some of the following thoughts come from “Act Like A Man” by Peter Parris.) Because David knew that the Lord was with him, he would fear no evil even when he walked through the valley of the shadow of death. Under the new covenant, not only is the Lord “with” us; He is in us. James tells us that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. James is not saying that the Lord is somewhere else or that He goes and comes, but is saying that we can lose the sense of His nearness. It should be our desire to always be increasing in the awareness of His presence. When we are aware of His presence, in the place of uncertainty, anxiety and fear; we have confidence, peace and boldness. We have been made alive to God and have been joined to Him and we can now enjoy His presence no matter what circumstances we face. The nearness of God does not take away all trials and hardships, but it does mean that because of His nearness, we can have the assurance that He is sufficient for whatever we face. Because of our union with Him, we should avoid any behavior or thoughts that would hinder our experiencing and enjoying His presence. There is much that could cause us to experience fear: fear of sickness and death; fear of being alone; fear of lack of provision; fear of being unemployed; fear of having relationships broken; fear of failure; and the list could go on. The antidote to all fear is the awareness of His presence. Our God is all-knowing; all powerful; ever present; all caring; all loving; all wisdom, and He desires that we know and experience His presence. Just like getting to know someone as a friend, we must spend time with that person getting to know them. Knowing and experiencing the nearness of the Lord is not automatic, but comes as we spend time with Him, getting to know Him. We have been given the word of God, and the Holy Spirit to help us understand the word of God, as a means of getting to know God. A key ingredient to getting to know God is believing what we read in the word and then acting on it. The scriptures reveal the nature and character of God and in a very sense, they are the door way that leads to knowing God. The more we come to know God, the more we see just how great and awesome He is. He has promised to never leave or forsake us-and that is a promise that takes us through any storm. So, when fear knocks on our door, let us not open the door. Instead, let us be reminded that our God is near and He is more than able to defeat any enemy we face and equip us for any circumstance. Let us not live without knowing the nearness of God.
Psalm 16:8: “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is t my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalm 73:28: “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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