Fear Nothing About Your Future
Bible Psalm 23
A psalm of David
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Beautiful, isn’t it? A famous psalm of David with a very deep meaning giving us serenity, peace, hope, strength, and faith in this uncertain world.
Today is the last day of 2020. Looking back at our days during this year, we may find that the many times we have struggled with problems and failures, we feel crushed and helpless like a bird that has lost its wings, or a wick lamp has run out of oil; but here we are, at the end of the year, waiting for the new year with the hope of a better future.
On the same day last year, you may have done the same thing, wondering about your future, what will happen, whether success or failure. If you have time to read this then it means you succeeded, you made this year yours, a part of your life despite your failures and successes, sadness and happiness.
Before we enter the new year, take a moment to reflect on what happened in our lives this year, and what will happen in the next new year. We will find that there is no guarantee that we will live our lives smoothly. Nobody predicted that 2020 would be the year that our way of life would change drastically with the outbreak of COVID-19. Nor can anyone predict what will happen in 2021.
David feels how we feel now. He knew that with God alone he would lack nothing. We are like sheep in the fields. We need a shepherd to lead us to green pastures and calm waters. You might think of this as the utopia of some fairy tale that tries to make you calm and peaceful for a moment and disappears as you return to your life and face reality. Yes, you may be right. But maybe that is not entirely true. When David said “God is my shepherd, I lacked nothing” he believed that just by letting God be his shepherd would he lack nothing. Only those who surrender to God will understand whether he or she lacks something. Jesus taught us not to worry.
Matthew 6:25–27
Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life”
…life more than food, and the body more than clothes…
This literally means God will always provide for your needs in His own way. It can be by people around you, friends, family, or even by someone you don’t know. Just count when something like this happens. But, implicitly, Jesus also wants us to know that what He gives us is eternal life. Not food or clothes, not happiness or pleasure, not wealth or health; there is nothing more important in this life than the life that He gave us. Doesn’t that mean we already have everything we need when we live in God?
The next verses tell that David acknowledged that his life was not free from problems and God never promised that our lives would be free from problems. But he believed that God would free him from his troubles and save him even in the darkest valley.
My grandfather was a brave and honest man. He told the story; how he fought as a soldier for his country, how he faced the hardships that threatened his life, how some people tried to imprison him out of jealousy, how a miracle happened and saved his life. He always told me to be brave and honest whenever I went. I don’t have to be afraid if I do the right thing because God will save me with miracles that can’t be explained or unexpected ways.
My grandfather was not a religious person, but he was a man of faith. I rarely saw him going to church, reading the Bible, or singing Christian songs. But from the story he told me, I know, there was never a doubt in his heart about God’s help.
As humans, we naturally fear many things; losing our loved ones, calamities, and illnesses, bad careers, our safety, we fear for our future. What will happen in 2021? David’s Psalms teach us that when we rely on God, we don’t need to fear anything, not even death. Our lives are like dust blown by the wind before God.
Again, read the passage one more time and surrender to God. Let Him lead your way and try to count the number of times He has delivered you from your troubles. You will be amazed and grateful for everything that is happening in your life.
And let it be not a resolution for 2021, but a resolution for your entire life. Happy new year 2021 and may 2021 be a blessing year for all of us.