The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1, NIV)
Through the many years when I coached high school, I saw dual commonalities on the fifth tee of our home course. It is a par-3 of about 155 yards, so it’s not a particularly testy hole in terms of distance. But two fears arise on this Billy Bell gem.
The first fear is painfully obvious for the new golfer. It is water. While you need to carry the ball just 90 or 100 yards to clear this obstacle, it creates terror for newbies who aren’t confident they will put the ball in the air. The second fear is the one recognized only by the accomplished golfer who has played the hole several times. It is the left greenside bunker, a deep pit of a hazard that makes par virtually impossible if the hole is located in the front or middle of the green.
What we know to be true on every occasion, however, is that fear will alter your swing in miserable ways. In fact, I am convinced that the etymology of the expression “self-fulfilling prophecy” is directly traced to first golfer who said, “Don’t hit it in the water, don’t hit it in the water, don’t hit it in the water…”!
Where the enemy would discourage us and strike fear into our hearts, God can bring us peace, strength, and courage.Fear almost never wins the day. Not in golf, not in action movies, not in business, and not in our faith. Certainly, there is room for prudence and caution, but on top of these must come our fixed assurance that God is in control.
The book of Acts is in many ways a study in how the apostles set aside common fears of men and took up the bold work of preaching the gospel of Christ among two groups of people who positioned themselves murderously against it: the ruling religious elite and the ruling political powermongers. In an early scene, after several of the apostles had been arrested and jailed, an angel of the Lord freed them to preach again, and they went right back out into the streets to proclaim Christ. No hesitation. And when challenged again by the leaders, the apostles said, “We must obey God rather than men.”
This is the essence of being a fearless one in Christ. When we remember that God goes before us into every battle, and that he is our rear guard, we march with confidence—even if we are lying in a hospital bed or are chained to our desk finishing a critical project. Where the enemy would discourage us and strike fear into our hearts, God can bring us peace, strength, and courage.
—
Jeff Hopper
November 8, 2019
Copyright 2019 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
Other devotions in this series:
1 Who Am I? Created by God
2 Who Am I? Children of God
3 Who Am I? Crucified with Christ
4 Who Am I? Resurrected with Christ
5 Who Am I? Born Again
6 Who Am I? A Witness for Christ
7 Who Am I? A Citizen of Heaven
9 Who Am I? Free in Christ
10 Who Am I? A Victor
11 Who Am I? Gifted for Good
12 Who Am I? God’s Friend
13 Who Am I? Complete in Christ