No Fear!

“This I know, that God is for me.” Psalm 56

This life is full of ups and downs. We may experience great love with a spouse that God has given to us. He gives us deep, lasting friendships with our fellow believers. He may bless us with children and great-grandchildren. He may bless us     with our jobs and health. But what happens when tragedy strikes? We lose our jobs, our spouse dies, or we get diagnosed with cancer. Does this mean that God has abandoned us?

One of the most comforting aspects of being a part of God’s family is the assurance that we are His Children. Regardless of our trials, we can find solace in God’s promise that He is always with us. Even amid a health crisis, we need not fear, for           God’s comforting presence is our constant companion.

David is the author of Psalm 56. In it, he cries out to God that his enemies oppress him and seek his death. Yet, in spite of his circumstances, he knows that God is for him and will never desert him. Paul, writing to the church in Rome, declares, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who indeed did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32).

Understanding that God is always on our side should empower us to endure any hardship for the    sake of Christ. We are not exempt from the inevitability of death on this earth (unless the Lord returns first). As our physical strength wanes and our bodies weaken, we can take comfort in the fact that our inner selves, which will live on for eternity, are being renewed daily (2 Cor. 4:16). There is no need to fear death, for we can confidently declare, as Paul and David did, ‘This I know, that God is for me!’

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark