Pleasant Stone Devotional Meditation: March 11

"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." ~ Psalm 56:3

There is no greater temptation than the temptation to fear. But God is faithful. And we have been called into fellowship with Jesus. John, the beloved disciple, late in his life on earth, gave us a three word characterization of Jesus, His Lord and Saviour and Friend, whom he knew to be God. John told us that "God is love." And this same John tells us also that "... perfect love casteth out fear ..." What a relief it is that the temptation to fear has also already been experienced by Jesus when He walked the earth as God, but having also been made perfectly human. He was tempted to be afraid too! And he did what we are to do. What time He was afraid, He trusted in His Father. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." We can do this if we want to. When we really want to trust, the indwelling Christ has all the power available for us to do it. He hasn't changed since He walked this earth, trusting in the Father to escape the human temptation to be afraid. Jesus Christ is just the same today as He was yesterday and He will be just the same forever. He is living in us if we have received Him, and He knows how to trust the Father during the times we are afraid. Christ in me is my only hope of not bring afraid again. "God was in Christ ..." They are one. Christ is God. "God is love ... " And "perfect love casteth out fear." "Fear not ... it is I." This is the voice of God speaking to us. But it is also the voice of the Son of God who became the Son of Man, and who experienced the temptation to fear. It is not some remote deity, commanding us to do something He has not Himself tried.

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."