O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
- Isaiah 34:3-4
Our verse is for such a time as this.
COVID-19 theories are all over the internet, creating an environment where people find themselves not knowing what to believe.
Some are us are afraid, fearful of what may come. Fearful of running out of money, fearful of losing our jobs, homes and businesses, fearful of having no superannuation upon retirement, fearful of losing investment properties, and of course, fearful of losing our elderly or fragile. These are all very real fears. In times of fear, two jobs are very important; 1, do what you can to prevent or minimise loss, and 2. seek God.
King David, in times of fear, sought the Lord. He stated in this journal entry above that the Lord not only heard him but, astoundingly, delivered him from ALL his fears. What secret did God show David to release him from ALL fears?
What level do we rise to when we are delivered from ALL fear?
We can have many fears, but let's begin with the big one, Death.
Fear 1. Death: Christ says that death is not the end of our lives, yet, it is still the most powerful fear we have. To be delivered from ALL fears, we must overcome this one. The fear of death causes us to do, say and reveal all sorts of things to get out of death. David reached this level of not fearing death. Jesus calls us to come to the same conclusion, that death could occur at any time. We do not control it.
Fear 2. The Unknown. David, for much of his bloodied life, lived not knowing his next step. For quite a period Saul and others caused him to live a reactionary life always under threat. Despite the fear that comes with never knowing what’s next, he was able to give it up to the Lord and get some peace. All he could grab hold of were God’s promises, but that was enough. He couldn’t go back to his family and nor could he go forward into Kingship. He was stuck in a merciless timewarp but kept God as his constant companion and guide.
Fear 3. Fear of Loss. Different to above, this means the loss of all things other than ourselves. All things, be they people or commodities, are temporal to this life. When I had my prison troubles years ago, severe loss came with it. I had to say goodbye to those things in the past, including my brother. Further to that, I also needed to say goodbye to the future, as it was unknown to me and out of my control. Many believers have suffered immense loss and resolved them in their hearts after the loss occurred, as heart-shattering as some of those losses were. God needs us to also resolve our future losses as well before we get there.
There is a saying, "A love that is not dependant on anything will never perish." This is the level of our love for God which can overcome all fears!
Then what did David do? He called the people to join together to exalt and magnify the Lord, even in those trying moments. Let’s try and do that while our world seems to be collapsing around us.
Today's prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for helping me through my losses to date. As agonising as some were, ou were present to soothe the pains. Please help me assess my future and give it over to you. I don't know what is to come, but I know you will be there to also soothe those losses.
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