Never Afraid?
Scripture Reading — Psalm 27
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?
—Psalm 27:1
Psalm 27 encourages us to reason that we never need to be afraid. After all, when the “the LORD is the stronghold of my life,” what is there to fear?
But is it really possible to never be afraid?
Fear is a fact of life, even for believers, and being afraid is a part of most people’s lives. Even David, who wrote Psalm 27, is described elsewhere in the Bible as being “very much afraid” (1 Samuel 21:12).
Some children are afraid of the dark. Some parents fear for their children’s future. Some Christians are afraid of death, and some are afraid to face the future, expecting some tragedy to strike. A long-time Christian pastor, who suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease, has written, “The more I think about the future, the more afraid I become.”
The only way to overcome our fears is to turn to God and to remember that God is the stronghold of our lives. And we do well to repeat these words from Hebrews 13:6: “We say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’” We can also reread and repeat the words of Psalm 27: “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” When we ask for God’s help and look to his Word, we can trust that the Lord will be our stronghold.
Lord, there is so much in life to be afraid of. Help us to turn to you and to trust in you when fear overtakes us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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