Why Do You Fear Man?

In our family Bible reading this morning, we looked through Isaiah chapters 51-53. There is so much truth in these chapters that it's often difficult to focus on any one thing; yet in particular this morning a few verses caught my eye:

"I, I am he who comforts you;

who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,

of the son of man who is made like grass,

and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker,

who stretched out the heavens

and laid the foundations of the earth,

and you fear continually all the day

because of the wrath of the oppressor,

when he sets himself to destroy?

And where is the wrath of the oppressor?"

(Isaiah 51:12-13)

Isn't it funny how stupid we are? Here God is pointing out to His people the absurdity of fearing men when God is on our side. It reminds me of Romans 8 where it says "if God is for us, who can be against us?". Who indeed?

And yet we forget so often that God is with us. We easily fall into the trap of fearing men. Fear takes many forms, and each and every form clouds our vision of just exactly Who God is. Is He not the one with the mighty arm, strong and able to preserve and protect?

Where is the wrath of the oppressor? Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies? Who are you that you have forgotten the Lord? I forget that the Ever Living One is with me! How absurd am I.

Yet there is a flip side to this coin. Even though I sometimes forget to fix my mind on God, He never forgets me.

"Can a woman forget her nursing child,

that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget,

yet I will not forget you."

(Isaiah 49:15)

Grace. God's remembrance of us, and His steadfast love and faithfulness, are not contingent upon our own remembrance and faithfulness. He is faithful even when we slide. He is with us even when we fall. He picks us up and holds us close. He remembers. Oh, that I could remember that always!

Be Thou my vision,

O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me,

Save that Thou art;

Thou my best thought,

By day or by night...

Let it be so!