David the shepherd boy understood this: 'I lay down and slept, I awoke for the Lord sustained me.' Then he showed his courage,' I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, who have set themselves against me all around. (Psalm 3:5, 6) His secret was the nutrition of his Lord, so that vast hordes of opponents did not deter him.

While fear paralyses, David affirmed, 'The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
The Lord made him strong in the midst of human frailty, confirming that God was with him. Often fear deters us from following the clear path God has drawn for us.

The Psalms of David are invaluable in facing fear: 'I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked on Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. ' (Psalm 34:4-6) The Lord approached and rescued David when panic threatened his composure. Truly, the Presence of the Lord powerfully banished David's terror. How about yours and mine?

Our clinical psychologists may well prescribe the psalms, especially the 46th, 'God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar, and be troubled.' CNN portrays the Hurricane Katrina, with gusts of winds at 280 km (175 miles) per hour, when the president of US summoned the nation to prayer. 1,000,000 homeless and many lives lost. The mountainous waters raged, while cities were submerged. A nation cried to the living God. We interceded for you in this southern nation!

God's presence and His fearlessness are in Psalm 138: 5, 6,' I called on the Lord in distress. The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side: I will not fear. What can man do?' Many suffering saints endure torture for the sake of the Lord, their Saviour. Their only crime is they love their Beloved Redeemer. How precious are their testimonies of the Lord's Presence in the midst of their afflictions! Hunger, imprisonment, privation, beatings cannot rob them of their composure nor induce them to fear. How would we respond?

The title JEHOVAH SHAMMAH is in the following,' Fear not, for I AM with you. Be not dismayed, for I AM your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. '(Isaiah 41:10) 'I AM' in scripture speaks of the eternal Jehovah. Here it is repeated in a few words. The eternal Person promises His immediate presence. Jan faces a key interview for a position of awesome responsibility. She is resting in the assured Attendance of her risen Lord. Her friends pray for her, as she calmly faces this panel.

A much-loved verse in Isaiah 43:1 is 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you (that is bought you by My redemption blood, not money), I have called you by your name. You are mine.' The 'fear not', which is a command, rests on the Lord Jesus' Calvary suffering, claiming us as His own precious possession. Let's cherish this.

The spirit of fear should be foreign to the believer in our Lord. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7, 'God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.' God replaced the general feeling of fear with a powerful and loving, strong mind and a well-balanced mentality. His presence has caused the difference.
During my medical exams (many years back) I wrote this verse on my examination paper, reminding me that He would compose and calm me. Fear fled.

Ezekiel concludes his amazing prophecy with the vastness of the Jerusalem city, 'All the way around shall be 18,000 cubits (9,000 yards or 8,100 metres) and the name of the city from that day shall be The Lord Is There, which in the Hebrew is Jehovah Shammah. This five or six miles was the perimeter of Jerusalem in that era. This truth agrees with the shepherd Psalm, 'I will fear no evil, for You are with me'. He does not minimise His eternal Companioning with generations. Some companion fellow Christians in their walk with the Lord, advising, guiding, praying.

Zephaniah adds to this beautiful theme,' Do not fear.' a precautionary word from the Lord. ' Zion, let not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in the midst, the mighty One will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you in His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.' (3:17) Our God removes apprehension by His assured Company. He is a special God.

Zechariah evidences the ministry of the great Jehovah. (9:14-10) 'Then the Lord God will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning.' We will see the individual defence of the Lord. The child of God detects much proof of his Lord's handiwork. As grandfather, I show our children and grandchildren the vigorous budding of the roses, and the vigorous shoots and russet leaves with the rain, fertiliser and sunshine. God will be known as Creator and Sustainer,

Jehovah protects His beloved children. 'The Lord God will blow with the trumpet, and go with whirlwinds from the south.' He will be heard. The trumpet call will awaken the dead. Firstly sight, then hearing proves He is near, as a shepherd guarding His flock.

'The Lord God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people.' (v16). Hundreds of years after David's sweet psalm, Ezekiel presents His great salvation for the chosen flock. The eternal One was the source of the timeless matter. He knows His own beloved flock, and calls them by name. His heart beats for them. 'They shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land.'(v16)As the jeweller prizes the jewel-studded crown, so the great Shepherd actively seeks His flock, gathers the lambs in His arms, and carries them in His bosom.
Are you enjoying the fragrant PRESENCE of the good Shepherd?