Thought for Today
Psalm 53:5 There they shall be in great terror, in terror such as has not been. For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly; they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
Psalm 91:4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day,
Acts 10:4 He stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" He answered, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.
Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval;
September 11, 2001, much like December 7, 1941, is a date which will live in infamy. Once again, America was attacked without warning. Unlike the attack in 1941, which was perpetrated by a sovereign nation, the attack in 2001 was perpetrated by a group of terrorists for the sole purpose of creating terror. The goal in 1941 was to destroy the U.S.A. Pacific Fleet prior to declaring war on the U.S.A. The goal in 2001 was to kill innocent civilians and to terrorize men, women and children of the U.S.A. by killing men, women and children. In 1941, the attack was organized and conducted by military forces of an opposing nation. In 2001, the attack was organized and conducted by civilian terrorists in the name of their deity.
Both attacks are related by the deaths of non-combatants and the surprise nature of the attacks. No warning of any sort was given in either instance. Terrorize is defined as “to make someone feel very frightened by threatening to kill or hurt them:” (www.dictionary.cambridge.org) A terrorist, therefore, is someone who attempts to terrorize. Ethicists can debate whether or not the Japanese pilots were terrorists. I cannot image anyone would characterize the perpetrators of the 2001 attacks as anything other than terrorists . . . although some have tried.
The word ‘terrorist’ does not appear in the Bible. The word ‘terror’ only appears 30-50 times in scripture. The verses above offer a good representation of the use of the word in scripture. One familiar passage, and one of my favorites is Psalm 91:4-5 and the idea of God as our shield and buckler (a small round shield held by a handle or worn on one’s forearms).
Our ancestors-in-the-faith understood God as our protector against all the “things that go bump in the night.” The greatest example in the Bible is Psalm 23:4, especially in the King James Version, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
I also remember the words from the hymn Amazing Grace, “’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved;” “Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;” and “God will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.” John Newton wrote that beloved hymn as an ode to God’s grace; but, for me, it is also an ode to God’s stance between God’s children and the terrors of life, the fears of those “things that go bump in the night.”
Despite what occurred on December 7, 1941 and on September 11, 2001, despite what may occur on any date in the future, as long as this Creation continues, we have the promise of our God to be our shield and defender. For Christians, we can find refuge from the terror and the terrorists in the Bible and in the great hymns of our faith.
In the Broadway musical and in the movie The Sound of Music, Maria sings “when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling blue, I simply remember a few of my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so blue.” In life, when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when the terrors assail, all we need to do is remember our Creator God. Then we will know we are not alone; then we will not need to fear; then we bravely face everything and anything thrown at us and triumph in our faith. Prayer always trumps terror!!
Stay safe, take it to the Lord in prayer, trust God,
Pastor Ray