Day Four - Fear No Evil
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” - Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
I am a worrier. When I was little, my parents called me, “Very Worried Walrus” based off the Sweet Pickles books by Richard Hefter. Trust me, I am not bragging with this confession. I have a long history of being a worrier and this is not good.
But I am trying more and more to be like David. So in doing so, I will fear no evil.
Oh how I want a heart like David. I want to remind myself every single morning, afternoon and night “I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.”
A rod was used as an instrument of authority, but also by shepherds for counting, guiding, rescuing and protecting sheep. The staff was an instrument of support. So David, as a young shepherd learned what the rod and staff would do. But more importantly, when David was being pursued by his enemies, he said, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
It is a scary time right now, I know. We do not know what the future holds. But you know something? Even before the coronavirus attacked this world, we did not know what the future would hold. Only God knows. He is the Only One. He is our Shepherd King, and He is with us to leave the 99 to come after us. He is there to guide us. He is there to rescue and protect us.
Ever since I can remember, people have been out there trying to predict “the end times.”
“Just read the book of Revelation,” they’ll say. “We’re there! It’s happening! It’s now!”
Yes. I believe every day draws us closer and closer to the day Jesus returns and Heaven and Earth meet, and as Pastor Steve Lawes so beautifully puts it, “The serpent will be no more!” The enemy will no longer exist when Jesus comes back and God dwells with us. But until that day comes, my friend, we do not know when the day will be.
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come!” - Mark 13:32-33 (NIV)
I absolutely believe there is death and destruction all around us. Of course there is. But death and destruction entered the world at The Fall, in Genesis 3. You and I have never known what it would be like to live in a perfect world. This is because Adam and Eve brought sin to the world, but nothing can separate us from the love of God.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, not any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)
Friends, no matter how horrible the coronavirus may become; no matter how evil people might be to us … no matter what they steal from us, no matter what lies they tell about us … nothing, absolutely nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Which brings me back to where we started this morning. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.”
Because nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord, I will fear no evil.