Thought for Today

1 Samuel 12:24  Only fear the LORD, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.  

Psalm 23:4  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. (KJV)

Matthew 10:28  Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  

Mark 5:36  But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."  

If you have heard or watched a news broadcast recently, if you have read a newspaper, you have heard or read mention of the word fear. It is a familiar word for people of faith, appearing 300-400 times in the Bible. But, the fear so ubiquitous in the news right now is not the same fear mentioned in the Bible.

I will admit that when I heard last night that the American economy had shrunk in the last few days an amount measured in trillions of dollars, I thought that some of that fear among economists and the investment community was understandable. Trillions of dollars! That is a 1 followed by 12 zeros. Write it  out! That is a lot of zeros! If you are an economist, if you are an investor, that represents a lot of dollars. If you are retired or if you are of an age where you are looking forward to retiring, even if you have an IRA or a 401K plan, that represents a lot of dollars. But, if you are at all knowledgeable about investing and the various stock exchanges, you should also be aware that all stock exchange indexes rise and fall.

Should all citizens of the U.S.A. be in a state of fear right now? During WWII, President Roosevelt famously told us, “You have nothing to fear but fear itself.” As far as our economy is concerned right now, I believe all of us should adopt that as our mantra. Investors are notoriously skittish about uncertainty. There is a great deal of change happening currently in a very short period of time.

As a Christian, however, I am also reminding myself of another quotation that serves me well, "Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” While I must carefully watch the resources I have established for my retirement, I do not serve wealth. I have made that decision of which Joshua spoke to the Israelites, and I have made the same decision and declaration as did he, “Joshua 24:15 . . . as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Resting comfortably in that decision, I am free to focus on serving God. I can read and understand Jesus’ words above and only fear those “who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  As far as fearing God, I know the word used in the Greek, φοβέω (phobao). Yes, that word can be translated as ‘fear.’ It does, however, carry connotations of awe and reverence. The cognate noun is sometimes translated as respect, reverence or awe. For me, as a Christian, I better understand “fear the LORD” in those terms. I do respect God; I do stand in awe of God; I do revere God.

At some point in my youth, I memorized Psalm 23. Probably in Vacation Bible School, maybe in Sunday School, I earned a gold star for memorizing that verse. I did memorize it in the King James Version. I believe that none of the more modern language translations have improved on or even come close to capturing the beauty and magnitude of the psalm, especially verse 4. That verse is, for me, one of the most powerful statements of faith in the entire Bible. The mere presence of God in my life means that I have nothing to fear in all Creation, even as “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”

Today, tomorrow and all the tomorrows to come, I will remember that verse and at least one other. Jesus said, “John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Stock exchanges fluctuate, administrations and their policies come and go, Jesus has left me with peace in my soul.

Stay safe, do not be afraid, do not let your hearts be troubled, trust God,

Pastor Ray