“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? “ (Ps 27:1).

News reports come every day concerning economic and political calamities about to befall us all, not to mention famines, tornadoes, earthquakes, and volcanoes, things which may at any moment strike us or people we love. There are always plenty of good reasons to be afraid–unless you know that things are under control. A Christian has this “inside information.” Things are, in fact, under control. God is our Refuge, our Strength, our Mighty Fortress. Nothing will get by the moat of his protection without his permission. To be afraid of what happens today or what may happen tomorrow is not only an awful waste of energy, it is not only useless, it is disobedient. We are forbidden to fear anything but the Lord Himself.

The world is shaking with fear. “What will become of us? Where will it all end? What if Russia…? What if cancer…? What if expression…?” The love of God has wrapped us round from before the foundations of the world. If we fear Him–that is, if we are brought to our knees before Him, reverence and worship Him in absolute assurance of his sovereignty, we cannot possibly be afraid of anything else. To love God is to destroy all other fear. To love the world is to be afraid of everything–what it may think of me, what it may do to me, what may happen today or tomorrow for which I am not prepared.

“…..whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? “ (Ps 27:1).

And yet, Lord, the truth is that I am often afraid. I confess it. All the weight of your promises seems sometimes to be only a feather, and the weight of my fears is lead. Reverse that, Lord, I pray. Give me the healthy fear that will make light of all the others–“The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.” (Prv 19:23)– Elisabeth Elliot

“For there stood by me this night the angel of God.”–Acts 27:23

Tempest and long darkness, coupled with imminent risk of shipwreck, had brought the crew of the vessel into a sad case; one man alone among them remained perfectly calm, and by his word the rest were reassured. Paul was the only man who had heart enough to say, “Sirs, be of good cheer.” There were veteran Roman legionaries on board, and brave old mariners, and yet their poor Jewish prisoner had more spirit than they all. He had a secret Friend who kept his courage up. The Lord Jesus despatched a heavenly messenger to whisper words of consolation in the ear of his faithful servant, therefore he wore a shining countenance and spake like a man at ease.

If we fear the Lord, we may look for timely interpositions when our case is at its worst. Angels are not kept from us by storms, or hindered by darkness. Seraphs think it no humiliation to visit the poorest of the heavenly family. If angel’s visits are few and far between at ordinary times, they shall be frequent in our nights of tempest and tossing. Friends may drop from us when we are under pressure, but our intercourse with the inhabitants of the angelic world shall be more abundant; and in the strength of love-words, brought to us from the throne by the way of Jacob’s ladder, we shall be strong to do exploits. Dear reader, is this an hour of distress with you? then ask for peculiar help. Jesus is the angel of the covenant, and if his presence be now earnestly sought, it will not be denied. What that presence brings in heart-cheer those remember who, like Paul, have had the angel of God standing by them in a night of storm, when anchors would no longer hold, and rocks were nigh.

“O angel of my God, be near, Amid the darkness hush my fear;

Loud roars the wild tempestuous sea, Thy presence, Lord, shall comfort me.”—Charles Spurgeon

“The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart“– Hebrews 4:12

Notice first that the Word of God is quick, or alive. It always is (present tense) alive. God’s Word will always be true; it is alive forever. And therefore God’s Word is always relevant, never just a dead carcass, a used up and empty vessel from the past. It is the living, breathing truth of God. And, as Psalm 100:5 extols, “His truth endures to all generations.”

The Word of God is also powerful. It is, in other words, energetic. It is not only living, but energetically efficacious. God’s Word, Paul tells us, “is the power of God unto salvation” to every one that believes (Romans 1:16). Have you ever felt the moving, slicing, energetic operation of God’s Word on your heart as you read, or listened to, or meditated on its truth? If so, then you know the kinetic power of God’s Word to reach and melt and prick the heart.

But it is here compared to a sword—and elsewhere called a sword (Ephesians 6:17). Why do we need a sword? Because we are in a war. We daily battle, whether courageously or pathetically, the ever-present foes of sin, self, and Satan. We need the spiritual power of God’s Word to strengthen us and fight for us against these foes.

Finally, God’s Word is called a discerner. The truth of God’s Word sifts through and analyzes the myriad of ideas, aspirations, and desires with which we are enticed and, as a qualified and a skilled judge, discerns truth from error, good from bad. It is a wise weapon!

Do you feel the need today for the energetic, discerning work of God’s Word upon your heart, directing your ways? The question is asked in Jeremiah 17:9, of the deceptive human heart, “who can know it?” The answer from Hebrews is: “the Word of God can.”—Baptist Bible Hour

“I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.” — Mark 2:11

That was surely a very strange command to give to a paralyzed man. He could not rise up. He could not lift up his bed. He could not walk a step. He was as helpless as a corpse. Why did Jesus require of him such an impossibility? But as we look on the helpless form we see that it at once starts up. The limbs move, the man rises, takes up his bed, and walks away in the presence of all the people. As we watch him going his way, we learn that when Christ gives any command which seems impossible, He always gives strength to perform it. As the man’s will began to obey Christ’s bidding, power came back into his long-paralyzed body, and he was able to rise up and walk.

It is the same in spiritual life. We have no power in ourselves to do Christ’s will, but as we begin to obey the needed grace is given. Young people often say that they are afraid to enter upon a Christian life because they can not do what will be required. In their own strength they cannot. It would be as easy for them to climb to the stars as unaided to live a noble and lovely Christian life. Human strength in itself is inadequate to life’s sore needs. But the young Christian who sets out in obedience to Christ, depending upon Him to open the path of duty, will never fail of needed help at the moment of need.

Older Christians also often shrink from duties because they have not the ability to perform them; but for them, and for all who attempt any work or service in obedience to Christ, it is true that the effort to obey will always bring with it the strength to obey.

We should notice too that the strength will not come until we try to obey. If we will not attempt to do our duty, we shall remain for ever poor paralytics; but as we put forth the exertion the life will flow into our souls, and we shall be strong.(J. R. Miller)