If the Lord Is With Us, We Should Have Nothing to Fear
Today’s passage: Psalm 118:1–7
Focus verses: The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. (Psalm 118:6–7)
The authors of the book of Hebrews wrap up their letter with some final encouragements. Among them is a reminder to say with confidence that God is our helper.
Therefore, we have nothing to fear (Hebrews 13:6). This passage, however, comes from the Old Testament, and it’s part of today’s focus verses.
If God is with us, we should have nothing to fear. Though others may confront us, in our Lord’s overall perspective, they can’t harm us.
At worst, anything they do is temporal. God’s protection is eternal. We must keep this in mind when we face fears over the threats and attacks of people. God is greater than them; he is on our side.
To make sure we don’t miss it, the writer of the psalm repeats the assurance that God is with him. That same God is also with us.
Let’s imagine walking toward our new beginning. Picture Jesus walking at our side. This should fill us with confidence. It should embolden us as we move forward.
As Paul writes to the church in Rome: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
Next, we read that our Lord is also our helper.
We can seek help from many sources. We can ask our family for assistance and request that friends help us. And we can ask our neighbors. In our job, we can seek support from our coworkers.
In other situations, we may summon law enforcement or request relief through the courts. We may even turn to a government official for support.
Yet, in these situations, the help we receive may not be enough. Sometimes it might not help at all. Sometimes the so-called help may even cause us more harm than good.
None of these concerns are true when we turn to God for help. We can rely on him. We can depend on him (Deuteronomy 31:6). He will never let us down.
How do we turn to the Almighty for help? We ask him.
This may be a prayer for protection or for guidance on how to best move forward. It could even be a heartfelt plea of “Help!” A prayer to our Lord need not be wordy or eloquent. It merely needs to be sincere.
As we move forward into our new beginning, may we say with confidence that God is with us. Then we’ll have no reason to fear. He is our helper.
Questions:
In what ways have we sought God for help in the past?
How can we better seek him for help in the future?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, please walk with us and help us as we move into our new beginnings. Protect us and give us victory. May we put our trust in you and not be afraid.
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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