"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment." v. 18
Let's think about the differences between fear and love. When we are filled with fear and anxiety, we are essentially thinking about ourselves. What's going to happen to me? What does the future hold? Maybe someone is trying to hurt me or take advantage of me. What if I get some terrible illness? What if I run out of money? What if someone close to me dies? What if I die? etc. etc. The list of things to fear is endless, and these fears can torment us day and night!
By contrast, when we think of God's immeasurable love for us, we can be free of fear! He alone can control the things that could cause us harm anyway. His perfect love surrounds us in every circumstance. When our troubles seem to close in around us, God's love is right there with us. He has everything under control. As we grow in our understanding of God's love for us and our love for Him and for His people, we see that mature Godly love is victorious over fear.
"We love because He first loved us." God's love is the true origin for all human love. v. 19
"If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar, for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters." vv. 20-21
It's easy to SAY that we love God. After all, who can challenge that? But the real test of our love for God is found in the way we treat His other children who are made in His image, including those in our own family and in our church.
Psalm 22:7-31
David goes on to pour his heart out to the Great Psychiatrist! He is truly miserable, and his enemies are gloating over him. As we look back at this psalm from our perspective, we can easily see how it is a prophecy of Christ's suffering even down to the dividing of his garments among His tormentors and throwing dice for them. v. 18.
Though Christ's suffering is far greater and far more important than David's, his suffering was real too, and as I have said, David didn't realize that this psalm would point to the Messiah. And so we will look at how David responded to his serious troubles.
- He prayed and asked God to help him. vv. 19-21
- He praised God before others. v.22, 25 God will often meet our needs in private, but we should always be ready to give Him public praise.
- He praised and honored God and showed Him reverence. v. 23 We live in a society that mocks God and is hateful and disrespectful of Him. A believer must never act this way.
- He remembered God's goodness. v. 24
- He believed God's promises. vv. 26-28
- He realized that unborn generations were depending on his testimony. This is true for us as well. We never know how God is using us. Perhaps someone we instruct or encourage today will go on to touch someone else's life in a small or great way. vv. 30-31
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