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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Father Forgive Them

-
  Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 (ESV) 33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Devotion:             The situation Jesus finds himself in here in today’s scripture is difficult for us to even imagine. A sham trial, no credible accusations of any kind, let alone any deserving of death, and yet here he is. A brilliant Rabbi, a teacher of the people who never led even one person astray from God’s will. This Holy One of God soon to be food for vultures.             This man who had done nothing wrong had no one in all the crowds who would speak up in his defense lest they be next to face the cross. An innocent man hung between two scoundrels. No voice from heaven declaring that this was the man that they were killing was actually the true Son of God. (See Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:28) No the heaven
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more