do not be afraid

By Kris Calvert 11-15-2022
Greetings Pray-ers,
He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
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.
Psalm 91:4-8
Every day I am grateful to live in this beautiful country. I have such gratitude towards our Founding Fathers who had the wisdom and love for God to create documents to be the benchmark for who & what America is: The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and The Bill of Rights. I am continually amazed of the many from across this planet who want to immigrate here; who desire to make America their home. The romantic historian in me imagines the thrill, relief and happiness of our ancestors who saw the Statue of Liberty and the hope she represents.
However, after this past election, I find myself wanting to hide in the truth of He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge. Do you recall the 1980’s commercial, “Calgon, take me away!”? Or how about the song from 1965 by Eddy Arnold with the words, “Make the world go away and get it off my shoulders”? I’m sure there are many reading this who are thrilled with the outcome of last week’s elections. Still others are wondering “What Happened!” because everyone they voted for or were rooting for, lost! And now, we just want a semblance of normalcy to descend over our communities and the country.
Not having a TV and trying to stay away from the Internet as much as possible kept me somewhat insulated from all the “trash talking” and hyperbole assaulting the ears of voters. Yet, I was unable to escape the so-called headlines of the probability that democracy would cease to exist. Say what??? Fear continues to be so prevalent in our society! The spirit of fear has always been around us. With the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 fear became a household word. Fear was what dictated how we would live our lives (work, worship, play) and raise our families. This fear has now grown exponentially attaching itself to other facets of society. The results are that we now see not only weariness and fatigue but also frustration and anger. These all have short fuses ergo it takes very little to cause people to either shut down or explode.
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.
When we read these verses, we often associate them with actual or physical conflict and disease. This would not be wrong. However, could the arrows, pestilence and plagues also be descriptors for the fear consuming so many? I must say yes! In saying yes, these verses become more understandable to me. 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 …… While I do not literally see thousands, I do see people who believe in God, and those who do not, effected by the ravages of fear. I ache and I often feel helpless to doing anything – because fear prevents us from hearing, seeing or reading truth.
[Jesus says] For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear nor do they understand. “And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing but will never understand; you will keep looking, but will never see. For the heart of this people has become dull, their ears can barely hear, and they have shut their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts. Then they would turn back, and I would heal them.’ Matthew 13:13-15 TLV
All this sounds like I am being rather hard on people who are experiencing fear or confusion of life around them. And where in all this do pray-ers or intercessors fit in? Well…..I believe the Lord is calling His prayer warriors and intercessors to remain stalwart, firm in the knowledge AND understanding that through it all – God is still in control. I believe He is continually refining us and preparing us to be that hope, to be that voice of truth when opportunities present themselves. Trust me, those opportunities will come! I believe the Lord is equipping and protecting us so that we may recognize and ultimately THWART the enemy’s tactics (his use of FEAR) through our praises and prayers. Remember – God is our Hope and Strong Tower. Remember – we must dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Only there can we say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!!!! 91:1-2
We have been called to be the Lord’s salt and light. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt should lose its flavor, how shall it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under-foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 15:13-16 TLV