I could tell you exactly the point I was going to choke up even the day before. I had been hanging out at worship team practice, saw that this song was on the roster for Sunday, and knew that when we hit the middle of the second verse I was going to have tears on my face and a lump in my throat. Here are the words:

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes We’ll live to know You here on the earth

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
-- “You Never Let Go”, by Matt Redman

Now, when we do that song and I’m playing keys in the worship band, I can hold it together. But when I’m in the congregation, and I see the faces of my brothers and sisters singing and playing, and know the stories behind those faces, I just about can’t take it. There’s the woman who’s wrestled with difficult family issues for her whole life and who is just finding freedom. There’s the man who is dealing with layoffs at work. There’s the woman who has chosen to stay married to a man who will be in prison for the next decade. There’s the guy who’s dealing with children with substance abuse issues. When we sing with hope about the “end of these troubles”, these people know something about troubles. And yet they sing with a hope and joy that is unquenchable. That’s not natural. That comes from God.

As soon as I get past that, the pre-chorus comes and smacks me in the face - precisely because I am so often a fearful man. And I’m not even sure that I’m so afraid of “evil” - probably because I don’t encounter it so much. But too often I have either this unnecessary fear of other people, of what they will think and whether or not I’ll look stupid in front of them. And too often I have fears about the future, about my family and providing for them, fears that display my need to trust more fully in God and to turn my worries and fears over to Him. So when I sing the words “If my God is with me, whom then shall I fear?”, the Holy Spirit is preaching right into my heart in the way I need it most.

Jared Wilson had a tweet months ago that stuck with me - wish I could find it to link to it directly, but I’ll have to paraphrase. He asked: Why are we so afraid? Jesus is comfortable and confident walking on the streets of the town, because He’s the king. As representatives of the king, we should walk with that same confidence. Dear God, let it be so.