The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
Psalm 118:6 NIV
What can mere mortals do to me?
This is such an exclamation of confidence. I am not alone. God is with me, holding me in his hands. And, because he is with me, I do not have to fear anything that might happen to me. What can mere mortal men do that would be able to overcome the one who watches over me?
This is not a guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen in my life. But I can be confident that God will not allow anything to happen to me that he will not use for my good (Rom. 8:28). I may not always know what value my suffering brings to me or others around me. But I can be sure that God is using it for my good. In this life, and especially in the one to come.
Because God is with me, I can have boldness when I talk with other people about my Lord. They may scoff, ridicule, or even worse. But nothing they can do will be able to separate me from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39).
And, because God is with me, I can face whatever comes my way each day without fear, knowing that God is walking with me through it. God is bigger than any obstacle I might encounter. So I can trust that he will see me safely through all things. And that he will, in the end, bring me to himself.
