The writer of the epistle of Hebrews reassuringly closes the letter by quoting scripture, notably Psalm 118:6-

The Lord is on my side;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

Because the writer of Hebrews quotes the Septuagint, the Greek Bible used by Jews of that time, the quote reads a little differently, and puts that verse in a little different light. 

The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?”

I do not claim that one is more accurate than the other, nor do I prefer one over the other. They do paint totally different pictures in my mind. 

I read that “the Lord is on my side,” and I imagine that I’m lined up on a dusty frontier street, my hand at the ready next to my sixshooter. I’m facing off against a gang of bad guys who smirk with confidence. I hear nothing but my heart pounding. I know I cannot take them all out. My hope is to take at least one with me before they gun me down. 

As if with one mind, the entire gang of outlaws look dismayed  They cannot believe their eyes. The whole lot of them turn tail and run. I look beside me and there stands John Wayne. He says, “Looks to me like there’s no one left to fight.”

When I read that “the Lord is my helper,” I cannot help but imagine that I am sitting at a computer, trying to hack into an account belonging to a mad scientist. If I cannot discover the password, the world will end. Next to me, with a paperclip, a piece chewing gum wrapped in foil, and a Swiss army knife in hand, is McGyver. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head at me. “I got this,” he says. 

I know. I know. I just compared God to John Wayne and McGyver. Not really. You and I both know that those are just silly illustrations. Whether God is protecting you from evil, or easing life’s most difficult tasks, He is a good God. 

Fear Not, for the Lord is our Helper. 

Fear can be blinding. It can be so paralyzing that we miss seeing the beauty of God around us. Several years ago, an ice storm hit Southwest Missouri, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes. It was terrifying. Ice built up on trees an inch thick, breaking weaker branches, toppling trees, and breaking powerlines. I was just one of hundreds of thousands who desperately prayed for the safety of my family and friends affected. 

A few days later the roads were clear enough to drive on, but power would not be restored everywhere for a few more weeks. My sons and I drove to a convenient store that sold kerosene. 

Only then did I see the beauty of the ice. Blue skies turned every tree branch and every blade of grass into sparkling diamonds. The bright sun melted the ice just enough to drip down roadside rock faces, whether it refroze into countless frozen waterfalls.  The ice was just as pretty the previous day and the next, but it is that day I remember. The fear was gone. The worst was over. I was no longer blinded by fear. 

In this passages in Joshua (chapter 10), the men of Gibeon are afraid of their enemies, and beg Joshua for help. The Lord tells Joshua to fear not, Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 

God protected His people. The men of Gibeon could not see what God had in store; they were were so blinded by fear. 

On another note, when Joshua and Caleb first spied in the Promised Land, they reported it to be “flowing with milk and honey,” and with clusters of grapes so large that it took two men to carry them. Yet, throughout the history of its conquest – the books of Joshua and Judges – there is no further mention of its beauty and abundance (except in recalling the earlier reports of the spies).

Fear does indeed blind us to God’s wonders. 

Fear Not – For God is Working wonders all around us. 

I am at that age where my generation is the oldest at the family gatherings. Sure, there may be one or two left representing my parents’ generation, but not many more than that. It is my generation that is starting to pass away. 

The sad thing is, we really don’t have many family reunions. The only time we see family is at a funeral. Everyone is too busy, too distant, or too angry about the past to bother. 

I love my brothers and sister and they love me.  We are, though, human, with human faults and frailties. We let each other down. We disappoint each other. We don’t always come tough for each other. We are not as close as we could be, or should be. 

There is someone, though, who sticks closer than a brother. He will never leave us nor disappoint us. He has no faults or frailties, for He is spirit, not flesh. He understands us, though, because He has suffered every temptation and trial that we will go through. He is by our side in life. He will be by our side in death. 

I would give up everything to go back to those days of my childhood when I had no worry and no fear, to just play with my siblings, roll down grassy hills, and stare at clouds in the sky. Since that is impossible, it is comforting to know that Jesus is there for me, with me, like a brother… more than a brother. 

Fear Not, for Jesus is closer than a brother.