October 11, 2017 – Psalm 56:3-4

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:3-4.

Fear begins early in our lives — as babies, we  jump at sudden noises or shifts in our ‘safeness’ status.  Then comes the ‘sneaky’ behavior when we are afraid of being caught by someone for behavior we know is wrong.  The ultimate fear is death. That moment we begin a journey into the unknown.

Sometimes fear is so strong, it is called a phobia.  The fear of falling, the fear of being hurt, the fear of heights, the fear of being alone, or the fear of punishment.  We are afraid of being rejected by our peers.   As we  age, our fears escalate in our growing physical weakness.

Is there any freedom from fear?  How can we live without constant fear?  The verse in I John 4:18 gives me peace and hope.  This perfect love comes from the promises from our loving God and trusting Him with our lives.  At night, when we hear a creak, or sound we didn’t expect, do we let our mind paint a picture of imminent doom?

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.  Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.  Psalm 34:4-5.

But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.  Galatians 3:22.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I John 4:18.