Blind Obedience
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Psalm 23:4
Fear No Evil – Twelve Steppers offer us David’s worldview in an acronym: FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real. We need this truth deep in our souls. God’s word is the only permanent reality. All the evidence that pushes us away from His unfailing character is False Evidence Appearing Real. David knows the unfailing God, not as a principle in a book or an icon above the altar. David knows God, and because he knows God, he will not let the false evidence of the shadow take control of his behavior. He will walk through the place where he cannot see anything at all. He will step forward in spite of the smell, the sounds and the shudder running up his back. All because he knows God.
This is very strong language. Yare, Hebrew for “fear,” means deep distress and concern over very unfavorable circumstances. There is nothing trivial about this. The emotional impact is very real, but the fear isn’t. Fear is always projection of what might occur, and David knows that what might occur is entirely in the hands of the God he knows.
David doesn’t tell us that he will only be concerned about the important things (my job, my spouse, my children). He says that he has nothing to fear. No evil frightens him to death as he walks blind in the dark. The Hebrew word ra’ (evil) is often contrasted with tov (good). This is not just what is hideous. It is also what is bad. All those bad things in life that we so desperate wish to avoid and so anxiously plead to have removed. David says, “I will fear none of them.”
Make a list (and check it twice). List every bad thing you can imagine that might happen to you today or even tomorrow. Now close your eyes and put that list in front of your face. You can’t see anything. All those fears are in the blind spot. But every one of them is in God’s hands. Not a single one can become a reality without God’s permission and if any do become real, God is still there, even if you can’t see Him. So, why are you afraid? Did you think that those fears, those projections of what might come to pass, are too much for God to handle? Did you imagine that He left you in the dark or that He just didn’t care about you anymore? Did you forget that He is merciful, compassionate and patient?
Fear wants me to stop until the lantern is turned on. But that is not faith. Faith is blind obedience, walking through the pitch black when I cannot see, knowing that every fear is folded into His hand. Seeing is not essential. In fact, it is often detrimental. Don’t let your eyes fool you. Be blind. Walk through the dark.
