Nothing to Fear

Today’s reading is Psalm 53.

As we noted on a previous day, the majorly significant change from Psalm 14 to Psalm 53 is in vs. 5.

Psalm 14:5-6 reads:

There they are in great terror,
for God is with the generation of the righteous.
You would shame the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is his refuge (ESV).

Psalm 53:5 reads:

There they are, in great terror,
where there is no terror!
For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
you put them to shame, for God has rejected them (ESV).

Psalm 14 seems to be about the terror the enemies should experience when they recognize God is with the generation of the righteous. Psalm 53 seems to be about the terror the righteous are experiencing when the wicked encamp against them. It is as if these two psalms look at the same event from opposing perspectives.

In Psalm 14, the enemy is not in terror as they ought to be. However, in Psalm 53, the righteous are in terror when they have no need to be. In Psalm 14, the wicked shame the poor because they do not recognize God is their strong and mighty tower. In Psalm 53, the righteous should shame the wicked, because God has rejected them.

Here is the point for us. When the enemies come against us, we often fill with fear. God tells us we have nothing to fear. God scatters the bones of those who terrorize us. God rejects those who terrorize us. Judgment is coming. Really, in this psalm it looks like the particular judgment had already come.

As Jesus points out, because we fear God, we have nothing to fear. If God is for us, who can be against us. Let us live today as if we have nothing to fear. Because in God, that is precisely where we are.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 53.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

  1. What are your initial reactions to the psalm and the written devo above?
  2. What ways can we praise God for bringing salvation for us from Zion?
  3. In what way do Christians remember this coming of salvation every week? Why is that important?
  4. How should we live all week long since God brought salvation for us from Zion?
  5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this psalm and today’s post?

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