He is not afraid of bad news. His heart is firm trusting in the Lord.
– Psalm 112:7
What a description of the righteous, that’s the language from Psalm 112:6. “The righteous will never be moved. He’ll be remembered forever. He is not afraid. She is not afraid of bad news.” Just think about that. Not that any one of us wants to think about bad news that we might hear that would affect us or others, people we love, people we care for in the world. My mind can easily go in many different directions when I think about bad news that could happen in this fallen world to me or to people I love and care for. And Psalm 112:7 is saying, “The righteous don’t ever have to be afraid of bad news.”
Psalm 112:7 reminds us how God’s love casts out fear.
And here’s why, because their heart is firm trusting in the Lord, and this is why we see over and over again in the Bible, God’s saying to his people, “Do not fear. Do not be afraid. Don’t worry. Do not be anxious.” God says it over and over and over again. This word, it’s repeated so many times. We need to hear this because we live in a world of bad news and we can think of all kinds of things to be afraid of or worried about or anxious of.
And God is telling us in his Word right now, even in this moment, “Don’t be afraid of bad news. I am holding you with my love. I am upholding you with my righteous right hand. You are secure. You are standing on a rock that will never ever fail you. My love will never fail you. My promises will never fail you. I will provide for you. I’ll help you. I will ultimately deliver you no matter what this world brings you, so you don’t ever have to be afraid.”
Psalm 112:7 challenges us to strive to be free of worry and fear.
Jesus says, “Do not worry.” God says, Philippians 4, “Do not be anxious about anything. Let my supernatural peace that passes all understanding guard your heart and your mind from anxiety and worry and fear. Trust in me.” Oh God, we pray for this in our lives. We confess we are prone to fear and worry and anxiety, that our hearts are not always firm trusting in you. And, God, we pray you’d forgive us for that and you would help us by your grace to have firm hearts trusting in you in a way that leads to no fear of bad news, a way that leads to trust that no matter what happens in our lives, you’re going to work it together for good, for our good, for others’ good, who love you, and ultimately for your glory.
Oh God, we pray that you would help us to live by faith like this. We pray for faith that frees us from fear and worry and anxiety. I pray for this in my own life, I pray this over every single person who’s listening to this right now in their lives. I pray, based on your Word, for freedom from fear of bad news. God, make us righteous. Give us hearts that are firm, trusting in you.
This verse reminds us God has made a way for us to be free of worry and fear
Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind has stayed on you.” And just pray for your perfect peace and confidence and freedom fr.om fear and worry and anxiety over every single person listening to this right now. Jesus, we praise you for making this possible through your life, your death, your resurrection from the grave, your victory over sin and death, your guarantee of resurrection life in the world to come, your guarantee that all of God’s promises are yes in you. And so we pray you’d help us to lead others to you to this freedom in this world. God, help us to proclaim Jesus and freedom from sin, death, fear, worry, and anxiety to people around us in the world, to people around the world.
Prayer for the Pulaar Funali People
Lord, we pray for the Pulaar Fulani people of Senegal. God, for millions of them who most of them have never heard of the good news, that they can be free from sin and death through faith in Jesus. Lord, we pray that the Pulaar Fulani people would be reached with the good news of yours, steadfast love for them that they might trust in you for their salvation. God, please may it be so. We pray all this according to your Word in Psalm 112:7. Help us to live today with no fear of bad news because our hearts are firm trusting in you. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
