Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. Psalm 112:6-8
It’s a dreaded phrase. People go to a lot of work to shield themselves from it. We buy insurance, pad the savings account, get our vaccinations, and schedule routine health screenings all in an effort to avoid receiving bad news. But no one can escape the sober reality that at some point, bad news will come to all of us.
Our efforts shouldn’t go only into avoiding it. Insurance, immunizations, and investments are important, but we should make sure that we are also putting effort into the quality of our response.
Psalm 112 is a ten-verse list of the characteristics of the fearless. It beckons to us with an implied challenge: “You want to stay calm and immovable in the midst of tragedy? Well, take a look at the kind of person who succeeds. If you act like they do, you can be fearless too.”
I must admit that I’m willing to take the challenge. Like a contestant on a Ninja Warrior show, I’m ready to take on the obstacle course and go as far as I can swinging from wheels over the water and climbing the wall to victory.
Fearless behavior.
Psalm 112 used the word fear three times. It first appears in verse 1. “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.” It appears the second time in verse 7. “They will have no fear of bad news,” and again in verse 8. “Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear.”
Two different kinds of fear. The fear of God as worship, respect and love for Him, guards you against the fear of bad news. People who practice compassion and generosity can trust that good will come to them.
Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious, compassionate, and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice (verse 4 and 5).
Stand on those promises. The world is full of bad news. You don’t need to listen to the news shows or read the paper for very long to hear stories of fires, murders, or immorality. But, if we are people who fear the Lord, we will never be shaken.
Our children will be mighty in the land (verse 2).
Wealth and riches will be in our houses (verse 3).
Our righteousness will endure forever (verses 3 and 9).
I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds like good news.
