What to do in these fearful times

What to do in these fearful times - Greg Laurie - http://www.wnd.com/2016/07/what-to-do-in-these-fearful-times/

 

Pastor Greg Laurie exegetes psalm that offers God's promises to his people

 

We certainly are living in frightening and perilous times. We are concerned about our welfare, our livelihood and our very lives. We are afraid of our futures, wanting to keep our health, our possessions and our families intact.

 

And really, it's no wonder when you look at the climate we are living in right now. Violent crime is all around us. There is the ongoing threat of terrorism. And there are so many other problems that we're facing.

 

I remember reading a statement by the late advice columnist Ann Landers, who said there was one problem that dominated the 10,000 letters she received each month, and that was fear. She said people were afraid of losing their health, losing their wealth and losing their loved ones. She also said that people were afraid of life itself.

 

The Bible tells us that one of the signs of the last days would be perilous and dangerous times. Jesus said that in the last days, there would be "distress of nations" (Luke 21:25 NKJV). And certainly that is an apt description of the times in which we are living.

 

All this brings to mind Psalm 91, a gem in the gold mine of the Psalms, which contains God's promises of provision and protection for us. In fact, next to Psalm 23, this psalm probably has been more used of God to bring comfort to God's people over the centuries than any other. As believers have faced times of danger and sickness and war and deathbeds, Psalm 91 has been a great comfort to them.

 

It is a great psalm for anyone who faces danger, for any of us who are gripped by fear, anxiety and worry. Psalm 91 contains some wonderful promises from God to us.

 

Interestingly, Satan apparently has memorized the contents of this psalm, because he came to Jesus in the wilderness and actually quoted it to him - out of context - to tempt him. It might be surprising to know that the devil is something of a Bible scholar. He is a student of the Scriptures. Of course, he is not reading them for edification; he is poring over them and scrutinizing them for his own wicked ends.

 

It reminds me of a story about W.C. Fields, who was seen reading the Bible one day. Fields was not known for being a Christian. That is why someone was shocked when the famed comedian was seen reading the Bible and asked, "W.C. Fields reading the Bible? Why are you reading the Bible?"

 

He responded, "Looking for loopholes."

 

Maybe that's why the devil studies the Scriptures. He's looking for loopholes.

 

In Psalm 91 we find that God promises he will deliver us, he promises he will protect us, and he promises that he will answer our prayers and be with us in times of trouble, among other things.

 

But I must also add that Psalm 91 contains conditions for activating those promises. We cannot simply take its promises and say, "They apply to me." If we want God's promises as found in Psalm 91 activated in our lives, then we must meet the conditions it lays out for us.

 

There are a number of times where a condition is given in this psalm and then promises follow. In fact, it begins with two conditions: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust'" (verses 1-2).

 

Now here are the promises: "Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler" (verses 3-4).

 

Notice the first pair of verses tell us what we should do, and the second pair of verses tell us what God will do. The Hebrew word used for dwell in verse 1 speaks of quiet, resting and remaining with consistency. It parallels the New Testament word Jesus used, among other places, in John 15:4-5 where he said, "Abide in Me, and I in you ... for without Me you can do nothing." That word abide means to stay in a given place.

 

Essentially, God is saying, "I don't merely want a relationship with you. I want fellowship with you. I want you to come close to me. I want you to be near me. I want you to remain consistently in my presence."

 

Sometimes we will substitute perspiration for inspiration. We will substitute work for worship. And then suddenly one day we say, "I'm overwhelmed. I'm feeling burned out."

 

My question is, are you dwelling in the secret place of the Most High? Are you abiding under the shadow of the Almighty? To abide in someone's shadow means that you must be very close. There is a time for work. But at the same time, the best work always will overflow from a life of worship. It can never take the place of it. We must have our priorities in order.

 

In verse 2, the word the psalmist used for fortress speaks of a place of protection, a place that is walled around us, protecting us from the things that are hurting us.

 

All of this psalm's wonderful promises of protection, of provision, of answered prayer and all the rest hinge on its opening statement: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust'" (verses 1-2).

 

Here is what you need to do to activate those promises. You must dwell in the secret place of the Most High. You must make the Lord your refuge. What does that mean? To boil it down, it is telling us we must have an intimate, close relationship with God.

 

We live in a scary world, and I wouldn't want to go out in that world without Christ in my life. God is not saying we should go out and unnecessarily endanger our lives. That is foolish. But God has a work he will do in our lives as Christians, and until he is done, we are indestructible.

 

When you look out at all the frightening things happening around you and say, "What if this happens? What if that happens?" you can have courage because God is with you.