Focus: Fear Not!

Text: Ps.112:7

"He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD."

You need to read the entire chapter of this psalm to understand who shall not be afraid of bad news. Verse one tells us that it is the man who fears the Lord and delights in His Word. He who fears God shall not fear bad news, because his God is capable of transforming bad news into good news. 

He did it for Joseph. Joseph said to his brothers, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Gen.50:20). God simply took the bad news of Joseph and turned it around for good. God took him as a slave and made him a sovereign. God took him from prison and brought him to the palace. He turned his life around for the good of everyone around him, for his own family, and for the world at large.

Our text also tells us that the person who shall not be afraid of bad news is the one who has his or her heart fixed on God and who trusts in Him. 

It is not right to have faith in God and at the same time to be afraid of evil tidings. God beats all fears. God and fear cannot coexist in the same space.

The psalmist boldly declares, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about" (Ps.3:6). That's the confidence of a person who trusts in the Lord and knows how infinitely powerful God is. The psalmist says, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" (Ps.56:3). 

Trust in God kills fear and terminates unbelief. He says again, "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me" (Ps.56:11). Exercise your faith and banish fear from your heart! Solomon says, "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet" (Prov.3:24). Again he says, "Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh" (Prov.3:25). God says through Isaiah, "Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid" (Isa.8:12). Do not be afraid like the rest of men! Have faith in God!

Isaiah confesses, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation" (Isa.12:2).

The Scripture makes clear those who entertain fears. Isaiah says, "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" (Isa.33:14). Sin causes fear, but the Scripture declares that the righteous is as bold as a lion. Adam and Eve became afraid as soon as they sinned against God. Sin and fear belong together. The psalmist makes bold to say, "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day" (Ps.91:5).

I charge you to go the way of faith, not the path of fear. We either trust or we rust. A Yiddish proverb says, "Ten enemies cannot do a man the harm that he does to himself." We hurt ourselves through lack of trust in God. We create enemies for ourselves through fear. Through fear we harm ourselves more than anyone else is capable of doing so. I say to you on the authority of God's word, Fear not! With the mighty God in your life, you have no reason to.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter