“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid … (Psalms 112:7-8a KJV)
Transcendent over danger’s imminence is a strong assurance that displays God-confidence. The person who possesses this heart countenance is known to be unshakable, their trust in God unbreakable, their exploits unmistakable, brazenly displayed on the pages of His Book …
Having been unjustly arrested, falsely accused, imprisoned, and extradited to Rome to face capital punishment, Paul is shipwrecked with condemned criminals on the island of Malta, a merciful escape from the vicious hurricane that would have otherwise taken their lives.
A viper latches firmly onto his hand, venomous fangs deeply entrenched, and onlookers observe with certainty his startled shriek, sudden collapse, and swift, agonizing, death …… except they never happen. Without missing a beat, Paul shakes off the offending creature as one would flick off a fly and goes about his business. The onlookers wait …. and wait …. and wait …. until they conclude in astonishment that he must be a god. The final shaking aimed to seal his death got shaken off!! …
An army surrounds Elijah to take him captive. His panicked servant cries, “Alas Master, what shall we do?”, to which he calmly replies, “Don’t be afraid; those who are with us are more than those with them.” In short order, the would-be captors become willing captives, having been blinded, fed, and led back to their master; fully restored in both sight & safety. Earlier on, this same prophet had single-handedly confronted & catalyzed the abrupt end to the terrorizing reign of Jezebel and her frenetic Baal-worshippers …
Jesus and His disciples are headed to “the other side.” A raging storm ensues, so tempestuous that water fills their boat and threatens to drown them. The disciples are terrified – yet Jesus lays asleep in the stern. “Teacher, Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” they cry in petrification as they shake him into wakefulness. “Quiet! Be still!” is His piercing command to the raging winds. The tumultuous storm instantly ceases, and perfect calm ensues. He turns incredulously to the shaken crew, asking the quintessential questions, “Why are you so fearful? How come you have no faith?”
In another scenario, Jesus waits two extra days on hearing the news of his friend’s serious illness, unshaken by the knowledge of his demise. He arrives in Bethany four days after the funeral, requests to be taken to his tomb, …… and the rest is history.
Are you unshakable, unwavering in faith & confidence in God? Is your heart fixed, trusting & utterly established in Him, or are you quickly shaken like a reed by every wind of doctrine, evil influences, threats, bad news, or undesirable circumstances? Can you take an unyielding stance on and for the Truth, or are you lacking in unwavering conviction?
References:
- Acts 28:1-6
- 2 Kings 6:8-22
- 1 Kings 18:20-40
- Mark 4:35-39
- John 11:1-44
- Matthew 7:24-25, 16:18
- Hebrews 12:28