To Encourage You

Psalm 27:1-2 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

How big is your God? I am convinced that if He is anywhere close to the greatness of the true and living God, all other things will shrink in comparison, including our fears. At least that’s what I’ve found is true in my life over the years. If a trial or a difficulty is what is looming large on my horizon, it is only when God looms ever larger that those trials and difficulties trend towards a more manageable size, and the fear associated with them begins to fade away. That’s the mindset of the psalmist in the verses above, for as he considers that his light, his salvation, and the stronghold of his life is the Lord of all creation, his question becomes, “what on earth can I possibly be afraid of?”

I’ve found that in my own life, when I’ve faced something that tends towards fear, it is wise to begin my prayers not by focusing on that issue, but on focusing on my Lord, who is greater than any issue, by far. It is in praise and worship as we remind ourselves of Who our God really is, that He begins to take His rightful place as the focal point of our lives rather than anything else, and in particular, any trouble that tempts us to fear. So, a bit of advice, not just from me, but from God’s own mouth: begin each day with praise and worship to our great God. Use the words He has given us in such places as Psalm 103, Psalm 145, Psalm 148 and so many other descriptions of His majesty. Lift Him up as far as you can, for whatever you think about Him, no matter how powerful, compassionate, loving, and wonderful He is in your mind and mine, He is greater still. We can’t even begin to comprehend all that our God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9), so how much less can we comprehend the One behind all those preparations.

How often has our great God told us such things as “Fear not!” and “Let not your hearts be troubled!” What wonderful words from our sovereign God, Who holds the whole world in His hands and truly knows the end from the beginning. For if these things are true, and indeed they are, then “Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?” Surely the answer is nothing and nobody, for whatever those things or people may be, our God is infinitely greater still. May He help us to remember how awesome He is. And thank God He has given us a means TO remember for He has told us all about Himself in His awesome and measureless Word.