Scripture:
Psalm 56
The world in
which we live today is full of adversaries, we hear it day in and day out on TV
and in the newspapers we read. We fight
the wars on drugs, terrorism, unemployment, obesity, anxiety, depression, and
on “family values”. We willingly divide
ourselves into red vs. white, us vs. them, and “middle class” vs. everyone
else. Our children are bullied on the
playground and cries of “it’s not my fault”. They turn into grownups with guest spots on
reality shows or
too-good–to-be-true
gimmicks to help us lose weight, grow hair, cope with anxiety, depression,
become wealthy or better yet, a trip to the plastic surgeon to boost our self-
esteem, or so we think. We are
constantly in a state of panic or worrying about where the money is coming
from.
Our
obsession with false adversaries can also drown out the real needs, real pains,
and real struggles we face in our world.
The enemy is everywhere watching and waiting for us to fall. This passage strikes me as a call for us to
put things into perspective when considering the scope of our problems. Its message of comfort is not restricted to
only those in need the most, instead the psalmist says with confidence, “When I
am afraid, I put my trust in you; in God, whose word I praise, in God I trust;
I am not afraid; what can flesh do to me?”
Facing up to
life’s difficulties may be a frightening experience. But when we trust God and
draw close to Him, we’ll experience real deliverance.
Prayer: Loving
God, help us to grown in faith and trust in you our Creator and Sustainer. Amen.
Elizabeth
Collins
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