Fear & Hope | Psalm 27:1; 14
A Faithful Congregation is a Prayerful Congregation
Fear and Hope
Psalm 27:1; 14
Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strong defense of my life; whom shall I dread?...Hope in Yahweh; be strong and let your heart take courage; hope in Yahweh.
Fearsome Days and Fearsome Thoughts
23 years ago today, we experienced a fearsome day. Islamist terrorists hijacked four airplanes and wrought terrible consequences. It was a Tuesday. I was in my second year of Bible college and as the news came pouring in, shock, dismay, and fear arose all around and within me. Would more attacks come? After the attacks, fear was mingled with anger and remembrance. Today, fearsome thoughts persist. September 11th here, October 7th in Israel, what’s next? How did the unity experienced after 9/11 fade? It is easy to allow fear to overwhelm us. The fear of a bad event is one thing, but the fear that people sympathize with and even embrace destructive ideologies is another. What is the antidote for such fear?
Hope in Yahweh
When our thoughts are on Yahweh, on He who is our light and salvation, whom shall we fear? When the One who creates life, delivers His people, and raises the dead is for us, whom shall we dread? When we follow Yahweh the triune God, can destructive ideologies last? Not long? While the world is opposed to Him, Yahweh wins. While the world hates Him, Yahweh loves. While the world sows fear and forgetfulness, Yahweh sows Gospel hope and remembrance. We must remember Yahweh. We must hope in Yahweh. We can let our hearts take courage by believing in Him. Even if it all falls apart all around us, Yahweh is still our light, our salvation, our strong defense, our courage, and our hope.
Prayer Prompt
Dear Yahweh, our light and salvation, we place our hope in You. You are our strong defense, and our courage. When fear and dread and despair threaten our days and our thoughts, we remember You, we trust You, we hope in You. Please help us be a people committed to remembering You above all, but also significant days—December 7th, June 6th, September 11th. Please help us promote the unity which followed these days and help us to spur others to turn from darkness to Your light, from destruction to Your salvation, from dealing in death to walking in resurrection life, from spreading fear to placing hope in You. Yahweh, bless those who suffer, strengthen those who dread, defend those who despair, encourage those who fear to hope in You. We love You, Yahweh, but please don’t just take our word for it, but see it in our actions. Amen.
Let our faithfulness in prayer mirror Yahweh’s faithfulness!
-FW, CC, SL,
Andrew
Fear and Hope
Psalm 27:1; 14
Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strong defense of my life; whom shall I dread?...Hope in Yahweh; be strong and let your heart take courage; hope in Yahweh.
Fearsome Days and Fearsome Thoughts
23 years ago today, we experienced a fearsome day. Islamist terrorists hijacked four airplanes and wrought terrible consequences. It was a Tuesday. I was in my second year of Bible college and as the news came pouring in, shock, dismay, and fear arose all around and within me. Would more attacks come? After the attacks, fear was mingled with anger and remembrance. Today, fearsome thoughts persist. September 11th here, October 7th in Israel, what’s next? How did the unity experienced after 9/11 fade? It is easy to allow fear to overwhelm us. The fear of a bad event is one thing, but the fear that people sympathize with and even embrace destructive ideologies is another. What is the antidote for such fear?
Hope in Yahweh
When our thoughts are on Yahweh, on He who is our light and salvation, whom shall we fear? When the One who creates life, delivers His people, and raises the dead is for us, whom shall we dread? When we follow Yahweh the triune God, can destructive ideologies last? Not long? While the world is opposed to Him, Yahweh wins. While the world hates Him, Yahweh loves. While the world sows fear and forgetfulness, Yahweh sows Gospel hope and remembrance. We must remember Yahweh. We must hope in Yahweh. We can let our hearts take courage by believing in Him. Even if it all falls apart all around us, Yahweh is still our light, our salvation, our strong defense, our courage, and our hope.
Prayer Prompt
Dear Yahweh, our light and salvation, we place our hope in You. You are our strong defense, and our courage. When fear and dread and despair threaten our days and our thoughts, we remember You, we trust You, we hope in You. Please help us be a people committed to remembering You above all, but also significant days—December 7th, June 6th, September 11th. Please help us promote the unity which followed these days and help us to spur others to turn from darkness to Your light, from destruction to Your salvation, from dealing in death to walking in resurrection life, from spreading fear to placing hope in You. Yahweh, bless those who suffer, strengthen those who dread, defend those who despair, encourage those who fear to hope in You. We love You, Yahweh, but please don’t just take our word for it, but see it in our actions. Amen.
Let our faithfulness in prayer mirror Yahweh’s faithfulness!
-FW, CC, SL,
Andrew
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