What Scares You … What Are You Afraid of?
February 1, 2022 No. 2 What Scares You? What Are You Afraid of?
Psalm 91:1-6 ESV
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions [feathers, NIV], and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.”
Let’s be frank with each other here. I doubt there is a very high percentage of people who will tell you that they aren’t having mixed feelings about where the world is going these days. It might be safe to even suggest that some of us are fearing the present and are very concerned regarding what the future holds for our society.
Remaining apolitical on this blog, let’s just look at what is currently happening. [Leaving out the whys of the following, if we just watch the news on TV we have to acknowledge] the US is taking on major additions to the population, mainly at the southern border with Mexico. Based on what the conditions were at this time in 2021, all of us are experiencing notable evidence of inflationary conditions—if not records, at least they are significant. Depending on who we are listening to, the COVID Pandemic has altered our lives—some more directly than others, and “the experts” can’t really tell us much that will make us feel very good about life [maybe on earth, let alone in our country].
So, what should we do about all this? Ah, yes! You knew I would have something to offer you, right? Today’s blog message started us off on the right footing. As we look for ways to cope with the circumstances we find ourselves living in each day, the author of Psalm 91 (traditional Jewish belief is that Moses wrote the Psalm and David included it in his Book of Psalms) gives believers hope and action steps to move confidently forward.
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Wow! The writer of Psalm 91 starts our game plan off with an awesome move (can you tell I am a former basketball coach?). We need to believe and commit ourselves to dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty God! In my book Being in Step with God, I write about partnering with the Holy Spirit and walking with Him throughout our daily lives. We need to be intentional about acknowledging Christ in our lives! Psalm 91 directs us to … “say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’” (Ps. 91:2, ESV). You see, by intentionally acknowledging Him, in verse three we read, “He will deliver [us] from … the deadly pestilence.”
I encourage you to read Psalm 91 in its entirety. Verses five and six finish us with the most positive direction I can think of. Please read and take these words to heart—secrete them within your spirit, “You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.”
Readers, if you do not know Christ as your personal savior, please take this opportunity to ask Him to come into your heart. There is a prayer for you on page nine of my book. Otherwise, all God asks is for you to admit and turn from your sinful life and promise to believe in and to the best of your ability follow after Christ. This will save you from an eternity of pain and misery. Email or PM me on my Facebook Author page and we can talk. God Bless!
Rick Schin, 2/1/22
