The Gathering Storm

I went grocery shopping recently and discovered that the produce section was almost entirely sold out. I soon noticed that the whole store was crowded with people frantically pushing their carts up and down the aisles, snapping items off the shelves as fast as they could. At the time, I did not understand what was going on, and I wondered what new apocalypse might be upon us. I later learned, the rush was due to people stocking up in advance of a winter storm.

The Boy Scout motto is: “Be Prepared”, which means: “Always be in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty”. This is good advice on many levels, but over-preparedness can easily lead to paralyzing fear.

There are many types of fear. Fear of missing out, fear of running out, fear of exclusion, fear of things that are different, fear of the unknown, and fear of death. Fear is tightly woven into what it means to be human. As a matter of fact, fear is so endemic to the human species, that there is a region of the brain dedicated to the processing of fear responses.

I think most would agree, fear is good when it motivates us to self-preservation or constructive action, but not when it paralyzes us, makes us feel helpless, or motivates us to destructive action.

Unfortunately, all of us will someday experience situations that are beyond are control, where no amount of preparedness or action on our part can influence the outcome. So what should we do in these situations? This is the question that all religions and philosophies must answer.

There are numerous places in the Bible where we are encouraged not to be afraid. Over and over, we are told by the prophets, angels, and God Himself, not to be afraid.

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus says:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”

In Philippians 4:6-8, Paul says:

“Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

And, in Romans 8:38-39, Paul says:

“For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

All of these verses encourage us not to fear, but to trust. And, not just to trust, but to trust in God Himself. If there is any truth in these statements, this is earth shattering news, that we can actually trust in God! If there is any truth in these statements, we should sit up and take notice, because they are nothing less than invitations to eternal freedom for anyone who will heed them!

But what about the terrible evils that surround us? What about psycho-killers, drunk drivers, Ebola, COVID-19, socialism, fascism, and fill in the blank? Shouldn’t we be afraid of these, and more, and do everything we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones? Shouldn’t we buy a gun, hoard cash, grow our own food, maintain good gut-health, and have bikes ready to ride to the mountains when the final collapse occurs?

Maybe. And maybe not.

I do not want to minimize these, or any other threats that may face us. How we, and our society, will handle the problems of our day remains to be seen. I do not want to minimize the many tragic and horrific events and circumstances that have befallen so many, and in so many ways. Evil is evil, and it is wrong. We have a duty to confront and correct it when we can.

But we do not have to be afraid. We do not have to be paralyzed. We do not have to lose hope. For, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Should we not place our trust in the One True God, the Creator of the Universe?

Let us ask Him now for what we need. Let us place our trust in Him today. He desires to give each of us not only what we need at present, but what we truly desire, which is a home, with Him, forever, in eternity.

Jesus, I trust in You!