The Heart's Cry: Psalm 95

Psalm 95

While this is a Psalm that begins in adoration and praise it is one that ends in a particularly interesting place that I would like to spend our time together today. The final stanza of the Psalm recalls the Exodus, in particular the point in time when the people were more scared of the people in the land that was promised to them then they believed in God. That is the fundamental failing of the people, they were more afraid of people than they trusted in God. Continually through the Biblical story we see people choosing fear over faith. Adam and Eve feared that they didn't know something important. Cain feared that God liked Able more. Abraham and Sarah feared that God wouldn't give them a child. The Israelites feared that they would be overwhelmed without a king. David feared that he was missing out without the bathing woman. Judas feared that Jesus wasn't whom he thought. Ananias and Sapphira feared that they wouldn't survive with less money. Fear over faith is the great failing of humanity.

Let me say that again, fear over faith is the great failing of humanity. And I am obviously including myself when I speak of humanity, for there has been a multitude of times in my life when I have chosen fear over faith in my own life and even in my ministry. Going back to the Moses and the people in the wilderness I would argue that it was their fear, not God's punishment that kept them out of the promised land for a further 40 years. The harsh truth is that very often we miss out on the good that God has provided for us because we are too afraid to go into unknown territory. For the Jews it was a literal space, and for us sometimes it is as well, but usually it is the unknown territory that we call the future. We forget that there is really only the present moment, and fear what may happen if we do what we feel we should, but if God has provided God will provide the path forward and through. May we make it our prayer today that we would be given the strength of belief and the strength of action.

+ How have you chosen fear over faith?

+ How have you chosen faith over fear?