Be Strong in the Lord

Philip Co

Or put yourself in this situation. You were kidnapped by four persons and kept in an undisclosed safe house for eight days. You know that your family cannot pay the huge ransom being demanded by your abductors. How would you cope with the situation?

How do we cope with fears? Some people deny they are afraid as long as the object of their fear does not creep up. Others face their fears by turning to alcohol, food, or by keeping themselves busy. Conquer your fear of heights through several trips to the roller coaster or go bungee jumping. Researches, in fact, have developed a high-tech treatment of this fear using virtual reality. Christopher Klok, a 21-year-old Atlanta college student, used to have a knee-buckling, sweat-producing fear of heights. But after viewing computer-generated scenes in which he rode in glass elevators, walked across bridges, and gazed out from high balconies, his fears have been greatly reduced. But how do you cope with those fears that even the world’s most powerful military force can neither prevent nor control? Most people simply have no way out of their fears. But a biblical way to cope with fear may be found in Psalm 125. This Song of Ascent begins with confessions and ends with petitions. It gives us the source of our confidence to face fear and how that confidence can be renewed throughout our lives.

Our confidence comes out of trust in God and His power to protect and to preserve us (vv. 1-3)

As the pilgrims made their way up to Jerusalem for one of three pilgrimages to the annual Jewish feasts, they had to go through the winding paths of Mount Zion as it leads to the city atop a hill. The picture of Mount Zion, breathtaking, immovable and unchangeable, no doubt came to the mind of the psalmist as he declared: “Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.” (v. 1, New Living Translation). Just as Mount Zion withstood the strong winds and rain, we who trust in the Lord can withstand the fearful storms in our lives. Notice that he did not say “will be secure” but “are secure.” This confidence, however, comes to those who put their trust in God. It simply means we act in faith, trusting God to help us through each day’s challenges. It means doing what we know is right, even though we may act alone. It means choosing to live God’s way, not our own.

But what is the basis for our trust? Every night a boy had to walk past what he believed was a haunted house. A friend gave him a good-luck charm to give him courage. An adult said, “It’s sinful to be afraid. Trust God! Be Brave!” But he was still afraid. Then someone said with compassion, “I know what it is to be afraid. I will walk with you past the house.” That’s all the boy needed to quell his fears.

It’s not enough to pump ourselves up with positive thoughts by saying to ourselves, “Trust God! Be brave!” as if God were some good-luck charm. The psalmist continued to say in verse two, “Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects His people, both now and forever” (v. 2). Jerusalem is surrounded by the Mount of Olives on the east, the Hill of Evil Counsel on the south, the ridge beyond the valley of Jehoshaphat on the west, and the high ground about Scopas on the north (H.D.M. Spencer and Joseph S. Exell, editors, The Pulpit Commentary, 3:211). These mountains are regarded as her natural defenses or walls of protection. The idea of this imagery is this: our confidence must rest upon God’s presence and power to protect us from harm. This is the true basis of our trust.

Verse 3 gives us the concrete assurance for our present afflictions. Though we are surrounded by wickedness, violence, sinfulness, and the apparent prosperity of the wicked, the psalmist was able to have a proper view of God and His ways in life. He declared, “The wicked will into rule the godly, for then the godly might be forced to do wrong.” In the New American Standard version it reads, “For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the righteous.” The scepter which is a symbol for the rule of wickedness shall not rest or permanently be upon the land of the righteous. God will not allow evil to triumph in the end. He is the Lord Almighty who reigns forevermore.

“For” in the middle of the verse gives us the reason for the protection provided by God. He protects us in order to preserve us from being forced to sin by the wicked. The Scripture is replete with exhortations for God’s people not to be afraid on the basis of who God is and what He can and will do for His people (Gen. 15:1; 21:17; 26:24; 46:3; Ex. 14:13; Num. 21:34; Josh. 10:8; II Kings 6:16; I Chr. 28:20; II Chr. 20:15, 17; 32:7; Ps. 23:4; 27:1; 46:102; 118:6; Isa. 41:10; Jer. 46:27-28; Ez. 3:8-9; Dan. 10:19; Joel 2:21; Mt. 10:29-30; Lk. 12:6-7; 1:12; 1:30; 5:10; 8:50; Eph. 6:10; II Thess. 3:3).

Our confidence is renewed as we talk to God about His power to do good, to act justly, and to bless His people (vv. 4-5)

As we live the Christian life, no doubt we still face fearful circumstances even when we have put our trust in God. However, our confidence need not be shattered for we can constantly renew it as we talk to God about His power to do good, to act justly, and to bless His people.

The psalmist now turned to petition God concerning His goodness. He cried out, “O Lord, do good to those who are good , whose hearts are in tune with you” (v.4). We can be confident when we are in tune with God and can “come boldly to the throne of grace in order to receive mercy and find grace to help us when we need it” (Heb 4:16). Whenever we cannot see how all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose, we can cry out to God knowing that He is good and will surely do good.

Not only is the Lord good but He is also just. This is why the psalmist could make the appeal to God to “banish those who turn to crooked ways. . . and take them away with those who do evil” (v. 5a). Take note that the Lord is the One who is capable to act justly more than anyone else could. Many times we lose our confidence simply because we think God is not acting justly and we better do something by our own strength to eradicate evil. However, strong is the person who rests under the everlasting arms of the Lord of justice.

The psalmist finally talked to God about His power to bless His people by praying, “And let Israel have quietness and peace” (v. 5b). I believe this is more than just a benediction but a desire on the part of the psalmist as he prayed to God. He knew that real peace comes from God and not through protests and reforms that we worked for. As we face a morally degenerated and evil society, we can trust God to bring about righteousness and peace and overcome our fears as we present our situations to Him through prayer. Faith in God is indeed the antidote to our fears in life.

Conclusion

Going back to the situations presented at the beginning, how will you cope with the fear of impending death and all other fears? I am fascinated by the conviction of Shadraach, Meshach, and Abednego in their reply to King Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in Daniel 3:16-18: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Geraldine, a sister in the Lord, said of her ordeal: “I wasn’t scared. I just prayed.” She later told her abductors about Noah’s ark, Sodom and Gomorrah – just like what she does in Sunday School. She even asked for a Bible and narrated to them the Parable of the Prodigal Son. She told them that they would be welcomed by the Lord in spite of what they had done just as the prodigal son was welcomed by his father. She was rescued eight days later when police arrested two of the gang’s leaders during the payoff.

No matter what fears you face in life, your knowledge of and your trust in God will keep you strong.