Whom shall I fear?

This is part of an ongoing series of devotionals for writers.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.
Psalm 27:1-3

Memorizing scripture comes up often enough in different classes I have taken over the years. My response has always been, “I don’t want to,” which is a terrible attitude in general. A close friend memorized the entire book of James last year and she said it changed her life. It was the last nail in the coffin of my excuses.

I am starting with what has come to be my life’s verse, or rather verses. Some people claim a verse, I claim the entire chapter 27 of Psalms, as my guide. I know it is a bit excessive, but each part has resonated with me at different times. Last week, I started with the first verse of my favorite Psalm.

“Whom shall I fear?”

We fear many things, some real, some imagined. I am scared of the dark, still at thirty-six, and I find myself walking faster through dark halls. I am scared of my own failings, that I will allow my faults to define who I am becoming.

We fear death, our own and of those we love. We fear pain and failure. Sometimes, we fear the truth and the consequences it holds. We fear the scars and baggage we carry from our past experiences. Our entire lives can be wrapped in fear of one thing or another.

Fear has the ability to rob us of what we should be enjoying. It robs us of peace and thankfulness.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation…”

Faith is our light in the darkness. It is our salvation in a world bursting with things to fear. Our anxiety and fears should be handed over the the Lord because all we have comes from Him. In Him, we can find strength and courage to face what comes for us.

I am still afraid of the dark most nights, but I know where my strength comes from.

For you:

What fears are keeping you from living your full life? Turn them over to God and look for one way to step out of our fear this week.

For your character:

What is their greatest fear? What is the origin of this fear? Are they forced, over the course of the plot, to confront their fear? When presented with the opportunity to overcome it, do they? If not, what are the consequences for them and for others?