Whom shall I fear?

Scripture: Psalm 56:3-4

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?”


Approximately 45 million... That's the number of Christians who were put to death in the 20th century, simply because they refused to compromise their faith in Jesus Christ. It's breathtaking, isn't it?

I often struggle with sharing my faith with others. When I feel convicted to share the Gospel, I am bombarded with fear - fear of rejection, of saying the wrong thing, of misrepresenting Christ. I've prayed fervently about it, and God is working diligently in that area of my life, but the fear still hovers in the back of my mind. Nevertheless, my fear cannot compare to the fear of Christians who place their lives on the line daily in order to worship God. In countries like China, Japan, and Korea, citizens are required by their governments to become members of "the official church". People who publicly profess their faith in Christ are at risk of severe punishment or even death. Risking it all, some missionaries form "underground churches" - often held in abandoned buildings or slums - in which they sing praises and worship God privately. In the backs of their minds resides a nagging fear... one they are willing to endure for the glory of God.

After all, what's the worst that can happen? We should not fear death, for we rejoice in our salvation which promises an eternity of glory with The Father. Philippians 1:21 says, "For to me, to live is Christ but to die is gain." How true! As long as we live, we are to bring glory to Christ with our actions, words, and lifestyles. If we die, we don't lose anything - we gain the precious mansions God has prepared for us in Heaven!

I'll leave you with this:

Psalm 27:1 - "The Lord is my light and salvation. Whom shall I fear?"