FDR is not one of my favorite people. He prepared us for World War II so he was significant. He also planted the seeds of socialism that are destroying us today. In spite of that, he had some great speech writers. One of the lines they wrote for him are double true today,
“We have nothing to fear except fear itself.”You might want to write that down and read it during the day if you are following the news.
The truth of this statement is doubled for Christians. This came home to me today as I was reading the 91st Psalm. Let me share a few selected verses. The Psalm starts off reminding us that he is writing to those who live in the shelter of Almighty God. Then he says this,
(Psa 91:3 NAS77) For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, And from the deadly pestilence.That hit me in two ways. First we have the authoritarians taking over the government who are intent on locking up anyone who has ever supported Trump or claimed to believe in Jesus. Although one does not lead to the other there is an amazing amount of overlap. They want to trap us. They want to destroy us.
Then you have the “pestilence”. It comes up again,
(Psa 91:5-6 NAS77) You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.We are being told, “Do not fear.” The author admits that they are out to get you and that there is disease. But he is saying, “Do not fear.” Did I say that you should not fear? Did you hear it?
“But people are dying,” you say. Yes, but that is true all the time. Notice the next verse,
(Psa 91:7 NAS77) A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not approach you.It goes on. You might want to take a few minutes and look it over.
But a word of caution. These are promises that are only made to the righteous, the ones who are part of God’s people. What troubles me about that is His people are a pretty small group. Anyone can be a part but most people would rather keep living in rebellion and disobedience. They think God is dumber than the person they sold their used car to. It doesn’t work that way.
But that is a sermon for another day.
I hope you can fear not.
homo unius libri
Amen.
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