On Current Events
The last few days have left me feeling like someone knocked the wind out of me. Afghanistan. Haiti. New strains of Covid.
What do you do when bad news rushes you from every direction?
Over and over again in Scripture, we see God’s people turning to God for help in times of despair. And more often than not, instead of telling his children something new, he reminds them of something they already know.
The Lord reminds them of who he is.
When ol’ Father Abraham fretted over his childless state, God said, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (Gen. 15:1).
When Moses feared facing off against Pharaoh, the Lord, speaking from a burning bush, said, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Ex. 3:6).
In the days of the Judges, when the Israelites cried out in terror, God said, “I am the LORD, the God of Israel. I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Jud. 6:8).
Why did God continually remind his people to remember to whom they were speaking?
Because the object of our fear fades in comparison to the glory and strength of God.
You see, we become what we behold. When our focus locks down on fear and devastation, we become frightened and devastated. When we behold the glory of our Lord in his word, we gain the strength and wisdom to act.
Nowhere do we see this more clearly than in the psalms.
As I prayed about what to share on the morning show regarding the humanitarian crises we are going through, one psalm, in particular, came to mind.
We weep with our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and Haiti. We kneel before God, begging him to intercede. But our tears and prayers are tightly woven together by our praise.
Why?
Because we remember who God is.