The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11 NIV
In this verse, King David associates the strength God gives to his people with the blessing of peace. This is an important concept to grasp. David’s words reveal that strength and peace are derived from faith in God. On the other hand, fear results from a failure to trust God or an unwillingness to accept God into our lives.
The apostle Paul describes the spiritual strength of godly men and women in 2 Timothy 1:7 saying, “For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. WEB” Paul perceptively associates power and self-control with love. In addition, he asserts that fear does not come from God. The spirit of fear is an enemy of each individual that robs the fearful person of peace.
The Lord gives strength. Trusting in God is an effective way to eliminate fear. As Christ said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. WEB”
There Is No Fear in Love
We know that God and Christ love us. Thanks to the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our destination is eternal life in heaven. Therefore, there is nothing to fear on this earth. 1 John 4:18 explains the importance of trusting in the love of God saying, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. KJV”
Revelation 21:8 gives a long list of those who will not enter heaven saying, “But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. WEB”
Notice that these individuals reject God. They live out of control lives of weakness and chaos rather than the peace filled faithful lives of submission to and trust in God. As David wrote, “The Lord gives strength to his people. The Lord blesses his people with peace.”
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the peace you bring to my life. Thank you for the truth and wisdom of your word. Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from evil. Give me wisdom and strength to live a life that is pleasing to you. In Jesus name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: Planted by The Water
