Even Heroes Fear

We know that David, the shepherd boy, was not afraid of Goliath.  He knew that God was with him and not Goliath and he boldly went and told the giant just that.  Then he defeated the giant in the Name of the Lord and became the champion of Israel.  And yet later David fell into fear of lesser men than Goliath.  He was afraid of Saul and he was afraid of King Aschish of Gath.  But David was not alone in great victory followed by great fear. 

In I Kings 18 Elijah demonstrated the power of God to the backsliding nation of Israel.  He called on God to send fire from heaven, and God did.  Elijah then called for the people to seize all the prophets of Baal and the groves and he then had them all killed.  King Ahab was overwhelmed and offered no resistance to Elijah.  After that Elijah called upon God to send rain to end the three year drought, and God did.  That is a lot of victory in one day’s work.  The next day he was running away in fear.

All of our lives are not accomplished in one moment.  If they were we wouldn’t need a whole life to get them in.  That means that neither victories nor defeats are a “one and done” deal.  We have to go on and live the next moment.  We cannot rest in victory and say we will always win.  We cannot lie down in defeat and say we will always lose.  The brave may lose heart and the faint of heart may rise like a champion.  In victory we need not boast and in fear we need not despair.  God was the One to bring the victory and God is the One who still stands beside us in fear.  In victory we are to give Him the praise and in fear we are to give Him are ardent prayers. 

When we fear we must not add fear to fear by feeling that we have failed.  God used David’s wilderness experience to make him an abler king.  God used Elijah’s flight of fear to bring him to his great successor Elisha.  God has not abandoned us at any time.  He loves His own and walks with them every day, even when the shadows cloud His face.  Despair not when you fall into fear; God is still on His throne and by your side.

By your side, His promises, sure, steadfast and true

By your side, His presence, day by day life through

By your side, His passionate love, for His weary son

By your side, His caring hand, ‘til your life be done

 

 

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