In these last days, tuning in to the news has become a horrifying experience. The focus is on shootings, terrorism, murder, crime, and everything that inspires fear. If this was the only news available to us, it could be truly terrifying. Thankfully, God has good news for all of us, and it’s the exact opposite of what we see and hear in the world.
Several years ago, a popular movie was released and marketed with the promotional saying, “Be afraid, be very afraid.” However, God says the exact opposite to us. Despite what we see all around us, believing and trusting in His promises of protection will keep us perfectly safe from harm. “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:5-11, NIV). God knows what we’re feeling, but His message to us is “Don’t panic, I’m here.”
The “if-then” clause in this Scripture is significant. If we trust in what the world offers us in the form of protection, then we don’t have much and our perceived safety net can fail us at any time. If we instead choose to trust in God, then the devil, who is the driving force behind the evil we’re seeing now, has no access to us. God is telling us, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (Isaiah 43:5, NIV). It’s tempting to cave in to fear and panic, but He delivers us from evil.
Jesus predicted chaos would happen (Matthew 24:6, 7, 10, 11; Mark 13:7, 8, 12, 19). Hate is rising up and the world is convulsing. Fear can make us lose heart, but when we open our Bibles and read God’s Word, we learn that love is stronger than hate. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). We’re lovingly warned not to live in fear or to let it control us.
Taking this to heart may be difficult for some, but it can be done. Jesus was fully human, yet He never allowed fear to dictate His actions or interactions with people. The key is not to submit to it. Jesus was love in human form, and His entire life demonstrated the power and authority love has over hate.
Our peace of mind is at stake; we can either believe what God tells us or believe what the world tells us. Letting our eyes and ears dictate what’s true takes away our peace. Accepting His Word as truth gives it back to us. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). We overcome our fears when we tune out the world’s chatter and rely on God’s message.
