GOD PROMISES TO ALWAYS BE WITH US
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6
Psalm 118 is a Psalm of praise for deliverance from the writer’s enemies. Even though he was surrounded and overwhelmed, God rescued him and defeated his enemies, so he is praising God. You could wonder why God didn’t just keep him from being attacked in the first place. But then he wouldn’t have seen God’s power, increased his faith and praised God. God taught him he didn’t need to fear his enemies.
We don’t know if David wrote this Psalm, but many he did write are about this same theme. For many years Saul and others tried to kill David. Time after time God delivered him. Similarly, when Paul was returning to Jerusalem he was warned that his enemies there would arrest and imprison him, but he wasn’t afraid and continued on his mission.
The writer of Hebrews quotes this special promise as well. So, we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6
The fear of man is a big problem today, even among Christians. We fear what others think of us, if they will criticize or reject us, mock us or turn from us. Ask yourself, though: “What can man do to me?” No one wants to be disliked, but if God likes us does it really matter what others think? We shouldn’t treat others in such a way that they turn from us, but neither do we need to let them manipulate us and dictate what we say, wear, think or do to gain their approval.
So, “What can man do to me?” A lot, really. They can cause us emotional or physical pain. But they can only do what God allows, and then He promises to bring good out of it in our lives (Romans 8:28). It’s not so much what they do, but our anticipation of the pain they can cause that causes us to fear them. Yet if God is our helper, we have a far greater power on our side than anything man can bring against us.
We can’t fear both God and man. It’s one or the other: either terror of man or deep respect for God. When we focus on God and His promises, our minds can explain reality to our emotions and be victorious over them. Our faith is all based on God and His Word, not on the circumstances we face. Faith feeds on the promises of God. Does yours?
What is your greatest fear of people? What past experiences have contributed to this fear?
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
Copyright © 2021