Whom Shall I Fear?

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?   Psalms 27:1-2

Fear means to be afraid and being afraid means to be filled with fear. Fear also means dread – to feel extreme reluctance to meet or to face. Fear often casts a shadow or darkness over one’s life. It can entrap you and cause one not to be able to see clearly, make wise decisions, or move ahead.  You feel as if you are in the dark.  You often do not know what the truth is and cannot decipher reality from what is not real.

Fear stands between you and the light that the Lord wants to shine on your life.  He is the Light of the World. He is the truth.  Fear casts a shadow because it is between you and the truth of God’s Word.

I was driving down the street this evening and I was going down a street that was lined with trees whose branches hung over the street. They met in the middle of the road and even though the sun was shining, the street was dark and covered with a shadow. The trees were between the sun and the road.  As I kept driving and there were breaks in the branches, I could see the light breaking through and no shadow.  I was able to see the sunlight.  As I passed all of the trees, the sun was shining brightly on the other side, no shadow, no blockage of light. The sun was able to shine brightly on me and my car.  It was beautiful. Darkness was dispelled, I was fully in the light.

Fear is that darkness that is sent by the enemy to cause a shadow and block out the light or the truth of God.  We must read, study, and speak God’s Word over our lives.  We must remember it so that when fear comes – darkness, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear that we won’t or can’t succeed, lies of the enemy - we can speak the truth of the Lord, our Light and dispel the darkness.  The Lord is our light, the truth, enlightenment, and He will save us.

Fear is mentioned so often in the Bible because God knows that the enemy, Satan, will use this tactic against us.  But the Lord encourages us in Luke 10:19, “¹⁹ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Salvation means deliverance from danger, destruction, or difficulty; deliverance from the power and effects of sin.  Since the Lord is our salvation, we will be delivered.  We just have to stand on His Word, which is light and truth.  He will drive out the darkness and the fear.  He alone can, has, and will save you.  He is your strength and will give you strength. You do not have to be afraid. 

Someone may be saying that is easier said than done.  I get it; I was there.  I was so tormented by fear until I wanted to go to sleep and couldn’t seem to shut off my thoughts or get two good thoughts together.  There were times when I think I just passed out. I suffered great loss when my father passed. I wasn’t taking care of my own mental health, trying to take care of so many things, working a job that was mentally draining, and not staying on the wall in prayer like I needed to.  The enemy cast a great darkness and if it wasn’t for the Lord saving me through His Word and the prayers of those He placed in my life to diligently pray for me, I wouldn’t be standing in the light of His love, His Word, or alive.  God saved me, and He will save you too.

We do not have to fear; the Lord is our light and our salvation. You don't have to be afraid. And even if you feel fear, you can tell it that it has no right to stay.