Title

Dealing With My Fears

Scripture
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
(Psalm 27:1)
Devotional
The intended answer to the psalmist’s question is, without a doubt, “No one”. The writer was by no means being rhetorical. He was not attempting to flatter God. He was cognitively weighing his reason to fear or not to fear. His reasoning may have gone something like this: If God is the Creator, then He knows His creation. As Creator, He is in total control. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He is all-powerful, all knowing, and able to be everywhere simultaneously. He is God, and He is for me.
Whom shall I fear, and of whom shall I be afraid? I need not be fearful of the unknown, because He knows the unknown. I need not fear the future, because He dwells there. We are simply not to be motivated by fear; whether it is the fear of death or the fears of life. The Bible furthermore says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (1)
Thought For The Night

“Threatened layoffs at work. Drugs and weapons in the schools. We have every right to be fearful, right? Maybe not. In Scared to Life (Victor), Douglas Rumford cites a study that explains why we shouldn’t allow fear to rule our lives: 60% of our fears are totally unfounded; 20% are already behind us; 10% are so petty they don’t make any difference; 4-5% of the remaining 10% are real, but we can’t do anything about them. That means only 5% are real fears that we can do something about.”  Marriage Partnership Magazine

 

Evening Text
Psalm 27:1: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
 
Looking for Answers
 
·         Why are we to fear God?
·         If we truly feared God, would we fear anything else?
·         What is it that you fear, and why?
 
Evening Study Guide
Defining: “In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun everything that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience.” Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language.
 
Referencing: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God,” 2 Corinthians 7:1.
 
Applying: Endeavor to fear God and there will be no need to fear man.