Overcoming Fear in Obedience (2 Samuel 3:39)
And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”
—2 Samuel 3:39
There is a lot going on in 2 Samuel 3 leading up to this verse, but to summarize briefly: Joab, one of the sons of Zeruiah, has murdered Abner, and David is shirking his responsibility as the anointed king to exact justice for the murder.
David fails to carry out justice because he fears the strength of Joab and the sons of Zeruiah. In this verse, we see the temptation in our own hearts to disobey God—to avoid doing what we should according to his Word because we are afraid of what others might say or do, or because we are fearful in any number of other ways.
2 Samuel 3:39 reminds us to follow God with unwavering courage.
As I reflect on this in my own heart and life, I want to encourage you to consider any ways right now that God is calling you to obey him, but you are hesitating out of fear of what it might cost you. Are there areas in your life where you are afraid of what others might say or do? Any areas where you are disobeying because of fear? It is so easy for us to justify failing to act in obedience to God because we convince ourselves that disobedience is better for us.
So let us pray based on 2 Samuel 3:39:
God, please help us to obey you without fear. Please help us to obey you, period—no matter what that means for us or where it leads in our lives. Help us to follow your Word without fearing anything in this world, grounded instead in the fear of you, love for you, and love for others.
Right now, God, please bring to our minds and hearts every area of our lives where we are disobeying you—whether we are doing what you have forbidden or failing to do what you have commanded because we fear something in this world.
2 Samuel 3:39 reminds us to fear God and not men.
God, for many of us, one of the primary ways we disobey you is by remaining silent about the gospel. We fail to share the gospel with others because we fear what they might think, worry about not saying the right thing, or fear what might happen to our jobs, friendships, or family relationships.
Lord, we pray that you would remove that fear from all of us. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 6, help us to declare and share the gospel boldly, as we ought to speak. Free us from the fear that keeps us from sharing the greatest news in the world with those around us. Grant us a boldness that overcomes fear in every area of our lives where we worry about what might happen if we obey you.
God, help us instead to fear what would happen if we disobey you. Help us to think rightly, to live in awe and fear of you alone, and to know that obedience to you is always best for us and for others.
A Prayer for the Aghori People
We also intercede for unreached people across the globe, particularly those in hard to reach places like the Aghori of India. God, we pray for the bold proclamation of the gospel to them. Raise up laborers from the harvest fields across northern India—and from other places around the world—to share the gospel with this group and thousands of others like them.
God, we pray for fearless, bold, and loving proclamation of the gospel to all the peoples of the world through us, your Church. Help us play whatever part you call us to play without fear. May we go wherever, do whatever, and say whatever you command because we fear you alone.
May it be so, according to your Word in 2 Samuel 3. In Jesus’ name, amen.
