Overcoming 2: Life Lessons From the PsalmsSample

Bad News and His Friends

Psalm 112:7–8 (NIV84): “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.”

Imagine there is a comic book character by the name of Mr. Bad News. His role in every episode is to share bad news. When he does, he always has an entourage with him. Mr. Fear, Mr. Shock, Miss Panic, and Miss Insecurity, among others, follow him everywhere. There have been times in my life when bad news was shared, and an entire busload of other voices accompanied Mr. Bad News and announced their presence.

Before we give Mr. Bad News any more attention, let’s focus on verse eight to read what The Spirit of God led the Psalmist to write, “…in the end, he will look in triumph on his foes.” I love stories that have a great ending. Especially the ones I am in! So, the questions for us to consider are: How do we navigate bad news? What is the key to navigating bad news? What will see us through the emotions and experiences of bad news in such a way that, in the end, we are triumphant?

Verses seven and eight represent the type of person I want to become. If a Christ-follower can arrive at the internal position of faith as described in these verses, they will be a light in the darkness. They will be beacons of strength amongst many who are weak. They will be unlike most around them. Others will want to be like them. Most importantly, they will reflect who the Lord is and who the Lord can be to them.

The key to becoming like the person mentioned in verses seven and eight is becoming like the person mentioned in verse one. The first verse says, “Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.” To fear the Lord means you have embraced to some measure the holiness, immensity, and majesty of who He is. Your discovery causes you to bend your knee and bow your head in reverence. Your discovery leads you to embrace His ways more than your ways. To your reverent delight, you experience His blessings upon your life.

Allow me to loosely paraphrase a few of the verses in this Psalm. “Blessed is the person who has spent quality and quantity time in the presence of the Lord. Doing so will strengthen your faith in Him and deepen your trust in His sovereignty. As you spend time with the Lord, you will receive wisdom that will help you live in ways that keep Mr. Bad News from making too many announcements in your presence. When Mr. Bad News does appear, you will be strengthened in the moment by the Lord to navigate the unfortunate news. Remember, the Lord always has the last word in any situation. He, in you, will triumph over Mr. Bad News and all his friends.”

It takes time to become this type of Christ-follower. Every meaningful relationship, including our relationship with the Lord, takes time to develop. To be a disciple of Christ means we are continuously seeking to deepen our relationship with the Lord and be like Him. When bad news arrives, it is confronted by our faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. These verses do not say bad news will never occur. They declare the potential of how a follower of God manages bad news.

As we live into the practice of abiding in His presence (verse one), we, by default, become more like the person of verses seven and eight. His presence changes us and changes our worldview and perspective. His presence strengthens us to believe and to have faith in His Sovereignty. Our heart becomes secure and steadfast. Bad news is navigated in the context of the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God. Fear becomes a fading voice in our soul.

Friends, with the rich and active presence of God within us, the effect of bad news upon our thoughts, emotions, and faith can be navigated. As Jesus went about his days ministering to others, he was constantly challenged and harassed. Mr. Bad News and his friends were constantly stepping into his life journey. The only way Jesus, the Son of Man, was able to do the will of the Father was because He regularly spent time with God the Father. His responses were divine. His behavior was righteous. To be like Him, we must do the same as He did. Therefore, prepare for the eventuality of being the recipient of bad news by being the recipient of His presence and truth. Seek to be the person of verses seven and eight by living into the spiritual rhythm of verse one. Let those around us see in us a genuine, steadfast, trusting, fearless faith that lives in triumph instead of fear.