Week 49
Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”
One of the most ubiquitous human experiences is FEAR. We have lots of reasons to be afraid in this life. Some reasons are reasonable, and some are illogical and unreasonable. But we are often afraid, nonetheless. We have been afraid, we are afraid, and we will be afraid until we die.
Our text today speaks to the child of God concerning this fear. This text refers to God and His relationship to us as a means of addressing fear in our lives. The text says, “God is my salvation…the Lord God is my strength and song…He has become my salvation.” These expressions are Bible expressions indicating that God is the reason why Christians can and must face and manage fear in this life.
God as our salvation means that we can trust God in all matters to oversee and shepherd our lives for good, in keeping with His plan and purpose. The Lord says of His people (in the day of His redemptive power) that they will say of the Lord that He is their strength and song. He is the One who keeps them going, He is the One who enables them to cope and endure, and He is the One who puts the song of joy and praise in their hearts. Our comfort and peace are gifts found in the Lord; they are not disciplined achievements of our obedient souls. Our efforts are puny and ineffective to bring about the favorable state by which our souls are faithful, comforted, healthy and strong. We need the Lord, and we must turn to Him.
Thus, the Christian, in doing this, says, “I will trust and not be afraid.” What does this mean? What does it mean to trust and not be afraid? Surely it means that we squarely face our situations in life and pray that God will intervene and accomplish His perfect and holy will for us. Surely, this must also mean that we are trusting in the Lord’s power, the Lord’s plan, and the Lord’s purpose for every aspect of our lives. We refuse to take control; we want God to take control of our lives and our circumstances. We will trust in the Lord in every case, facing every fear, and enduring every hardship. We trust the Lord to work, we trust the Lord to help us, and we trust the Lord to sovereignly control every dynamic outside of our control. We will trust the Lord and not be afraid.
Christian friend, this is how we face sickness, sorrow, sadness, and separation. We live in constant trust and dependence upon the Lord. He is with you, and He will take care of you.
Prayer: Dear Lord, please grant that I will not fold up when I face these terrifying possibilities of life. Just give to me the ability to look to You in faith, trusting in You for all good things. Thank You for watching over me and taking care of me. Amen.