Bible Gateway Blog

“They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear…” Psalm 112:7-8

This is a verse that my wife and I have exchanged for a few weeks. We’ve texted it to each other while going about our work. A reminder of spiritual peace—words we trust that God will use at a critical juncture of the other’s day. By now we should have it memorized—and I suppose we do know the words—but how long does it take a verse like this to settle into the tides of life’s daily suspense?

Like most people, we sense the lack of control at the fringes of our lives; we try to apply some authority to the situations we can manage. We try to plan ahead. More so now since becoming parents, and the number and degree of our responsibilities has exploded. We already see potential catastrophe in every contour of our once-familiar house: sharp corners, choking hazards. There is a developing a fear of pillows. We maintain a careful and special anxiety for the things we can’t see. After all, it is flu season!

I read Psalm 112 and wonder what it feels like to have a secure heart. Security seems very distant in these final weeks of expectation, though we’ve surrounded ourselves with security, and I wonder if we’ve become addicted to safety. First-time parents, we might forgive ourselves. But, despite our repetitions of Psalm 112:7-8, we have to check ourselves to make sure we won’t take a step backward in our trust of God by putting our fears in the wrong place. Continue reading →