"So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (NIV)

Here the author is recommending that we fully trust in the Lord and fear nothing in our lives – personally, I find this easier said than done depending on the circumstances! Even when we know deep in our hearts that the Lord is always with us, our humanness can cause us to be afraid. We need to constantly pray and remind ourselves that however great man can be (or we think he is) that God is so much greater. This verse is encouraging us to remember that anything that threatens us on earth is insignificant when we ask for Gods help.

The verse will give us the confidence and the courage to always believe in Gods protection. When life is distressing us or causing unhappiness then to turning to God is the answer. We need to be kind to ourselves and if we have experienced failure, then embrace it and learn from it. Stop comparing ourselves to others. When we feel any negative thoughts building in our mind then banish them with prayer. Fear is a thing of the past; Jesus came and died for us to release us from fear.

The words quoted in this verse are also found in Psalm 118:6 and Psalm 56:4. One of the many things I learnt years ago from our Digging Deeper ministry, was to look at the Old Testament references for these New Testament verses. The theme for Psalm 56 is to trust in Gods care in the midst of fear. When all seems dark his truth will shine through. When God is for us then those against us will never succeed. For Psalm 118 it is being secure and confident in Gods eternal love as it is unchanging even when the situations we are in are changing around us.

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Application:

• Identify fears or anxieties in your life and bring them before God in prayer, asking for His help and strength.
• Memorize this verse to remind yourself of God’s protection and support.
• Encourage others by sharing how God has been your helper in demanding situations.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I thank you that you are with me every moment of my day and night. Thank you for your unconditional love and I pray that you may help me to share this with others around me and help to bring peace and hope and to banish fear. In Jesus name – Amen.