I pretty much listen exclusively to Christian radio in the car. Occasionally I will slip back to the Rock of the late 60s and early 70s when my need for a little nostalgia kicks in, but that can be hit or miss and last only if the station plays my favorites. But I digress…
The reason for today’s post is a bunch of stuff, and part of it is a song played on a “Christian Radio Station” and two devotionals in a row that point to fear and its place in a Christians life.
The song is the motivation… and the devotionals pointed to the response.
The Song
The song is titled “The Breakup Song,” by Francesca Battistelli. The song is about breaking up with fear. I admit it is a catchy song, and when I hear it, I find myself singing along, and for a long time, the song seemed fine. But at some point, in the past few weeks, I realized something significant was missing, and the Holy Spirit convicted me.
Now I am not bashing this song or the writer. That is not my intent. Instead, what happened as I listened, God reminded me of some truths that were important and possibly overlooked in this song.
The thing that hit me like a punch in the stomach, one just hard enough to take your breath a bit and startle you, was that there was no reference of God in the lyrics. It was a song focused entirely on self-reliance rather than turning to God. As I considered this song and prayed about its scriptures just continued to come to mind saying the absolute opposite to the song.
I went so far as to write the radio network and asked them to review the lyrics and consider if it was truly a Christian song or a secular song. I got a nice note back thanking me for bringing it to their attention, and nothing changed, and I let it drop until this week; specifically, the last two days when I read “Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Utmost for His Highest June 4th
Both devotionals were tied to a passage in Hebrews 13.
Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV Strong’s)
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
I have read this passage so many times. Hebrews is one of my many favorite books in the new testament and I enjoy chapter 13 quite a bit as well, but as I read this passage the last two days, I saw something more. Chambers opened it up for me on June 4.
““I will never leave you…”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.”
I read the passage from Hebrews again and what Chambers said several times. Chambers said LISTEN… and listen again if I did not hear it, so I took his advice.
Reflection
As I pondered the passage, I could see nothing but hope and love in God as my way of overcoming fear. You know in this world, just like the ancient world we place a lot of stock in cash reserves and it is easy to look to those reserves rather than God who makes all things possible. Everything we have was his first… Everything.
Just look at Hebrews 13:5-6. There are no conditions in that text God simply says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” I like how Chambers puts it
“I will never leave you…”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness.
But like I said it was two days of devotionals that forced me to move.
Utmost for His Highest June 5th
On June 5th the same passage from Hebrews was referenced, but Chambers looked at it just a little bit differently.
My assurance is to be built upon God’s assurance to me. God says, “I will never leave you,” so that then I “may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). In other words, I will not be obsessed with apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God’s words of assurance. I will be full of courage, like a child who strives to reach the standard his father has set for him.
Again, Chambers goes back to the source of our strength – God. He makes no reference to self-other than to say we turn our thought to our God for strength.
Psalms 121:1-2 (ESV Strong’s)
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Without our faith, we are small and without the Holy Spirit to fill and strengthen us, we are lost. All our hope is in the Lord.
Closing Thoughts
I do not want to say that this song is a bad song, but for me, it seems to point to the wrong solution. I could not find a passage that supported self-reliance only reliance in God. There are so many: Romans 8:26-30, 1 John 4:16-19, Deuteronomy 31:8, 2 Timothy 1:5-7 and today my favorite –
Romans 8:31-39 (ESV Strong’s)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As I read those five verses in Romans, I am humbled to the point that I am unable to say anything but thank you Jesus. I have no strength that I can muster that would help me stand alone against the trials of this world and why would I even choose to try. God has promised…
Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV Strong’s)
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
Why would we not cherish this promise and trust in him in ALL things? All we need do is move forward in faith… and just one more passage I promise…
Hebrews 10:35 – 11:2 (ESV Strong’s)
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
By Faith
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.
Prayer
Father help me that when tempted to fear or become anxious that I need not turn to my own strength but as all things I must turn to you. You are my hope, my strength and my salvation. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus name, Amen
