David wrote by THE SPIRIT in Psalm 23:
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, 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.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
Most of us have read or heard this Psalm countless times over the years. I must confess that hearing it without being in the “line of fire” does not have the same personal impact as having been confronted with intense evil from those who are enemies toward Christ and His brothers and sisters. Yes, there have been enemies who have targeted me as well as my family in the past but the level of intensity could not be compared to that which David had endured when He was first given this promise which applies to us as well. Certain death is the ultimate enemy of those who Love Christ and as we are confronted with death, this Psalm comes alive and explodes with the Love of FATHER for each of us. Death no longer has any noticeable impact on us when we embrace the reality that THE LORD is my shepherd and I shall not want. There is nothing temporal to hang on to as though some “thing” could give us some advantage when confronting death. HIS Love and Life swallows up death and its sting, thus death becomes no real issue.
Fear has its basis on the unknown but we know FATHER is well aware of all situations and has shined the light on the “unknown” and revealed the Truth. We must place our trust IN HIM and fear will dissipate from our midst… evil will follow. FATHER’S power and authority are greater than fear or evil thus there is no question of the outcome when HE confronts evil.
In the coming months and years many of us may be exposed to Truth which has been withheld for decades or longer. These Truths may challenge what the church has taught and convinced us to be true based on the pastors’ understanding. We must keep our hearts tuned into what FATHER is telling and showing us, knowing that it may go against everything we assumed to be true in the past. When FATHER takes us out of the box the church has had us in, let us exit the box with no fear!