ATTACKED!!

The enemy has made a massive attack! We are always in a war, but this time the entire world is attacked by a vicious virus that the enemy created just to destroy us. But we can read in God’s Word that even though we feel that we are surrounded by the enemy “more are they that are WITH us than they that are against us’. (2Kings 6:16) And, O yes, please note that Elisha first says, ‘Fear Not’. We only fear because we do not trust in our great, wonderful, loving Creator! He alone can save us. Again God says in 2 Timothy 1:7 (Amp. V) ‘for God did not give us a spirit of fear – cowardice, craven and cringing fawning fear, but (He has given us a spirit) of power and of love and of calm and well-being mind and discipline and self-control’. What spirit do you want? The one God gives or the one God does not give? If God doesn’t give it, I personally don’t want it!

My Psalm reading in Hebrew for the day was #95. First the Psalmist praises God and tells us how we should do the same. You can read those first verses to see if you are doing those things. Then he goes on to tell of God’s great power in creating and ruling His creation. It was the final verses that showed me what is going on in today’s world. Like the Israelites of old, we have abandoned God, His teachings, His ways, His desires for His creation. Not every single one of us of course, but our culture, our society, our rulers by and large have caused us to fall into a form of heathenism that the Israelites never knew. We are worse in many ways. V.8 tells us to not harden our hearts as the people did of old and proved God which actually means they tested Him and doubted His ability to provide for them. So v.10 says that God was disgusted (Hebrew trans.) with them for 40 years (O, the patience of our God!) so that God finally said ‘they have a fickle heart’ and do not approve, acknowledge or regard my ways’. So He punished them – finally after putting up with them for such a long time. How long has God put up with the people He created in His World? Maybe too long. We rejected His Only Beloved Son, Whom He sent to deliver us from ALL our sin, we have rejected His name, His commandments, His love for us. How much rejection can He take? More than I can, that’s for sure. I would have given up long ago, but He hasn’t given up. He still wants the same things from us that He wanted from the ancient Israelites – to turn to Him, to go to Him to receive His love, His blessing, His peace. The President won’t save us, the CDC won’t save us, all of our self-effort won’t save us. Only the God Who owns us will save us.

You don’t believe God owns you? He bought you with a price. He shed His blood to purchase you from the hand of the enemy. But the choice is and always has been yours. Take His offer, read His Word, believe what it says and trust in Him to keep you safe from all harm.

Psalm 91:9-10 “ Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, there shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your house” See, your part is simple, just make the Lord your dwelling place. His part is simple for Him, hard for us. Do your part and let God do His part!

Rev. Joyce Kaplan, M.Div, Retired United Church of Christ pastor.