Do Not Fear
Do Not Fear
Scripture: Psalm 91:1-6 (NLT)
1 Those who
live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I
declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he
will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will
cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and
protection.
5 Do not be
afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not
dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Devotion:
As
Covid-19 is now alive and well and has increased in number of infections some
300% above the same time last year. So, it perhaps time to hear these words of
assurance from Psalm 91. This Psalm simply tells us not be afraid. Easier said
than done no doubt about that. We should, however, be willing to hear theses
words of hope and comfort in light of all the scriptures and pay attention to
what the Lord says to us and why he says it. What really are we afraid of? And
what does God really want us to do about our fears?
Our
fears about this virus are hard to shake. We have heard so many stories of people
who have taken every precaution humanly possible and still gotten sick and many
have died. How are we to avoid being frightened when we hear such stories? We can
only read the many stories that God tells in his book about his children and
how they faced illness and death and try to imitate them.
The
Psalm I have chosen for today’s reading is one of the best passages on this
subject in all of scripture. Especially when considered in light of the
promises of Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus, it seems makes a habit of telling
his disciples not to be afraid. The exact words “do not be afraid” occur 10
times in the Gospels 33 times in all of scripture and the words “do not fear”
occur another 35 times in all of the Bible.
How
are we to do this? Jesus seems to know that it is not possible by human effort
alone. He does not make “do not fear” a command. Jesus knows that we are weak
humans and if we are not to be afraid in the face of something like this virus our
bravery must come from God’s grace and not from within ourselves. Psalm 91
tells us that we must abide in God in order for us to have any chance of being
able to live without fear. We must exercise our faith in order to know the
peace that only God provides. Therefore, let us pray that the Lord may give us
courage to face this virus knowing that he will hear and answer us:
Prayer
O
God our health and our salvation hear us as we pray for your peace in the face
of this disease. Let us rest secure in you. Let us know that you truly will
save us for the sake of your Son. Help us to live at peace regardless of our
circumstances. Thank you for your steadfast love and care for your people.
Amen.
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