Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe and didn’t kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt for my life to take it. May Yahweh judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me of you; but my hand will not be on you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness;’ but my hand will not be on you. Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? May Yahweh therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.”
(1 Samuel 24:11-15)

“Save me, God, by your name.
    Vindicate me in your might.
Hear my prayer, God.
    Listen to the words of my mouth.”
(Psalm 54:1-2)

“Because your loving kindness is better than life,
    my lips shall praise you.
So I will bless you while I live.
    I will lift up my hands in your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.
    My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
   when I remember you on my bed,
    and think about you in the night watches.
For you have been my help.
    I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
My soul stays close to you.
    Your right hand holds me up.”
(Psalm 63:3-8)

David wasn’t taking action against Saul. David was consulting the Lord on all his major decisions (1 Samuel 23:1-4; 10-12). David had chosen to rest in the Lord and trust in Him for protection, sustenance, guidance, and correction. David was leaning into the Lord. Because David made Yahweh’s wings his shelter, he was protected from his enemies. He constantly escaped them – although some of the escapes were pretty narrow. He didn’t do that in his own wisdom. He did that because he honoured the Lord. That was also why he didn’t kill Saul. He even felt guilty for cutting the corner of Saul’s robe. He didn’t want to mock Saul, shame Saul, or cause Saul embarrassment. He didn’t want to harm him or kill him or make him suffer. Saul had been anointed by God. David recognized that if God anointed Saul, it was up to God to dictate what would happen to Saul. Until God spoke, acted, or lead him, David was going to give honour where it was due (to the position the man inhabited, not to the character of the man himself) and rest in God for his protection.

It isn’t our circumstances that saves us. It is His NAME. The power of His NAME is what saves us. The reason our circumstances don’t even MATTER (2 Corinthians 4:17), is because we have God as our protection. We have a BETTER thing when we rest in the Lord than we have when we are covered in resources, assistance, and our own strengths. Those things can be a good thing for us, but they will not save us. They will not bring us victory. Not true victory. We can only manage temporary victories. Temporary dodges. And partial hiding from our enemies. In God, we have REST. In God, we have VICTORY. In God, we have everything we need and everything we could want because His NAME is above ALL things, ALL names, and ALL circumstances. If we will trust in God, He will NOT disappoint.

Summary

True rest means true reliance. It means looking to the Lord for instruction, guidance, and correction. It means not only intellectually understanding but truly believing that God CAN and WILL provide EVERYTHING we need. That His Name is a fortress in which we are SECURE. If we will stick close to God – like chicks with their mother – we will be standing in His shelter. We will be standing in His protection. We will be resting in His Name and knowing in our hearts how deep and powerful that name is. We will have peace, because all the BLESSING of the Lord is there under His wings, in His presence, in His Name.