I Will Fear No Evil
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
When I was in the eighth grade I had my first dose of paralyzing fear. My friend Vera had come over for a sleepover, and after my parents went to bed we indulged in our first ever horror movie, Scream. Sweet Vera and I thought we were mature enough, cool enough, and brave enough to handle it. One of us was wrong and I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t her.
We had planned on sleeping downstairs in the family room, but when the movie had ended and the TV screen went black, I suddenly became very aware of how dark and quiet it was on the first floor. I convinced Vera to relocate up to my bedroom for the night, but the trek down the hallway and up the pitch-black stairwell was almost too much for my faint heart. I snuck a pair of kitchen shears from a drawer and gripped them tight, preparing myself for an intruder in a white mask to pop out and slice me into ribbons as soon as I reached the top.
Once we settled into my bedroom unharmed, Vera went right to sleep. I envied her. I white-knuckled the kitchen shears under my pillow, cold beads of sweat gathering around my hairline. I laid awake all night long.
Scream was the first and last horror movie I ever watched. For years the costume from the murderer in Scream was a wildly popular choice on Halloween. I made a point of crossing the street whenever I saw one. (Okay fine, I still do.)
As someone who once battled crippling anxiety, I know that fear is a fast, downward spiral the enemy uses to pull us as far away from God as possible. When we’re sitting in our fear, it doesn’t matter how rational or irrational we know it is, the way out seems impossible. My thirteen-year-old self knew it was crazy to think a masked murderer was lying in wait outside my bedroom door, and yet I couldn’t shake the possibility of it from my mind. The troublesome images played over and over in my head. That’s what fear does. It is relentless; a shadow that follows us until it consumes us. But do you know what else is all-consuming? The love of God; and it’s because of His love that we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22).
When we are being drawn into the cloud of fear by the enemy, we can fight back. We can refuse to go quietly into the night and instead retaliate with the words of God which strike terror into the very soul of the devil. James 2:19 says that even the demons believe there is one God, and they shudder. I can’t help but smirk when I read that verse. The presence of God, the very truth that assuages my darkest fears, is the same thing that causes the devil to tremble in fright.
Some of us have lived in fear for far too long. We’ve allowed ourselves to become consumed; we’ve pulled our fear over us like a weighted blanket, comforting yet suppressing. Some of us have had our worst fears realized. We’ve lost a loved one, we’ve been violated or betrayed, and we’ve witnessed the worst life has to offer. We know our fear is rational because it’s already happened to us. Is the presence of God enough? Yes, it is.
In Psalm 23:4 David writes, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” There is so much goodness in this one simple verse. “Even though,” David says. Not “even if.” He’s telling us we WILL walk through the shadows. We WILL face death, if not someone close to us, than our own. Somewhere along the way, our life or the life of someone we love will be threatened. Even though we can’t avoid it, we can face it without fear.
“I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Fear has no claim on our hearts when the Lord is by our side. His all-consuming love leaves no space for trepidation. 1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love drives out fear.” I imagine God’s love shoving fear aside, crowding it out, and refusing to let it back in. Fear is an unwelcome intruder.
“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me,” continues David. Shepherds used the rod to fight off predators coming after their sheep, just as God defends us against the evil one. The staff was used to guide and direct the sheep, keeping them together in safety. God does the same for us. His rod and staff are tools meant to help us ward off fear. What a comfort they are indeed. So even if the worst should happen, I will not give way to fear. My God is with me.
Study & Reflection: Spend time reading through Psalm 23 in its entirety. What other reasons do you find for us not to fear? How does seeing God as our shepherd help you face your fears? Meditate on these verses: 1 John 4:18, James 2:19, and Lamentations 3:22. What do they have to say about the confidence we claim in the face of fear?
Prayer: What fears are consuming your heart today? What is the enemy telling you to be afraid of? Ask God to ward off the devil’s schemes, defend your heart from evil, and comfort you when you’re afraid. Let His perfect love drive out the fear from your heart. Trust Him today to guard you as a shepherd guards his sheep.