through God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Now David asked the question, “Of whom shall I be afraid?” There’s one thing which intrigues me. It’s this word shall. Fear usually con cerns itself with something that’s in the future. The worries about which I find myself concerned are not things that took place yester day, nor even are they things that are taking place right now. They are really all in the future. David said, “Of whom shall I be afraid?” I don’t need to be concerned about anyone. “If God be for us, who can be against us;?” As we think of these three things: light, salvation, strength, they give us a perfect portrait of the believer. The opposite of them is quite an other picture. Instead of light, sal vation and strength there are dark ness, destruction and weakness. If God is not ruling in your life, you’re in darkness. You may be headed for destruction, and certainly you are weak, succumbing con stan tly to temptations. You desperately need light, salvation and strength. That’s the natural progression of the Chris tian life. CHAPTER TWO David explains, “When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.” Reading this, you may think to yourself, “David must have had many problems. I know there may be people who don’t care for me but as far as I know I don’t have any real enemies who are bent on my destruction.” Remember that Scripture gives us the revelation that as Christians, knowing Christ as our Saviour, we do have enemies that are very real! The Bible defines them as the world, the flesh, and the devil. They must be reckoned with. As an example, Satan is described as a roar ing lion, who paces back and forth, seeking whom he may devour. David
knew well the devil’s enticing pow ers. These enemies, according to the Psalmist, stumbled and fell. The sweet singer of Israel had met all kinds of adversaries. He encountered a lion which he killed with his bare hands, as well as a ferocious bear. He found the truth to be that the larger the brute, the clumsier the attack. Had the old gospel song been written in David’s day, I’m BEARING FRUIT It is the branch that bears the fruit, That feels the knife. To prune it for a larger growth, A fuller life. Though every budding twig be lopped, And every grace Of swaying tendril, springing leaf, Be lost apace. Oh thou, whose life of joy seems reft. Of beauty shorn; Whose aspirations lie in dust, All bruised and torn. Rejoice, though each desire, each dream, Each hope of thine Shall fall and fade; it is the hand Of love divine That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks With tenderest touch, That thou, whose life has borne some fruit May'st now bear much. —Annie Johnson Flint sure he might have sung often the familiar melody, “What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms?” It is true that Christians may stumble. The Bible teaches us that though a believer may trip, he shall not be utterly cast down. The wicked on the other hand completely fall. The Christian never does, for he is kept by the power of God. Zephaniah 5
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