Psalm 91 - Study 17 - No Fear of Pestilence
We read in Psalm 91:6,“You will have no fear of diseases that come in the dark or terrible suffering that comes at noon.” (ERV)
We have been studying Psalm 91 in depth and the overriding theme of this Psalm, is that the Lord protects His children from every kind of evil or harm that surrounds them. Interestingly this Psalm seems to include all sorts of dangers that could possibly befall us as humans. The part of the verse that we will study in detail is that ‘we will have no fear of diseases that come in the dark’.
When we are pounded by a pestilence it usually throws normal life out of gear and turn our lives upside down. A few months ago if we went out on the street with a face mask, people would stare at us curiously, but strangely if we were to go out without wearing one today, people would frown on us. Handshakes were a normal way of greeting before this pandemic, but now everyone refrains from it. Our visits to hotels were commonplace, and sitting at crowded tables was totally acceptable. Now, however, we are expected to maintain social distancing at the table, even if we are from the same family. Those who used local buses for their transportation didn’t really care if it was crowded as long as they could find a spot to stand, but now we have regulations that only one person can sit on a seat no matter how long it is. One would have never imagined that in order to buy vegetables, we would have to stand in queue, in circles allotted to us so as to maintain social distancing. A simple act like opening a gate which was mundane has become an ordeal as people are afraid that it could be contaminated with the virus.
Everything that seemed ordinary and banal have become burdensome, and in general there is a sense of fear that engulfs the majority of people. For those who live in the hills travelling to the plains was a simple affair, but now one has to procure a traveler’s pass to leave their town and journey to another city. This is the power and effects of the pandemic that we are challenged with, and it would be good for us to understand where all of these pestilences originated from.
Where did it all begin?
The Garden of Eden
We read in Genesis 3:8,“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” (ESV)
Adam and Eve who were the first created human beings, had a glorious time in the Garden of Eden. Whenever the Lord came to the Garden, they had an amazing time of fellowship with Him. In the above mentioned verse we notice that Adam and Eve hid in fear from the presence of God. The reason for this contradictory behavior will be well understood as we read the following verse.
In Genesis 3:12, “The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”” (ESV)
Until that time, Adam and Eve were in perfect unison with God. However, when they ate the forbidden fruit, the Lord inquired of Adam as to why he did so. Adam has no hesitation to throw the blame on Eve as the one who was instrumental for his disobedience. Not only did Adam attribute his disobedience to his wife, he went further on to indict God as the one who gave Eve to him.
Have you observed in families, whenever there is a problem or conflict, each one wants to blame the other. This blame game has now become global, in that countries have started to blame each other for the outbreak of this pandemic. Just like Adam, there are many who are attributing the cause for this calamity to God. To receive more clarity on this let us study the following verse.
We read in Genesis 3:17, “And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;” (ESV)
By disobeying God, Adam and Eve brought some major consequences to the earth and all of humanity namely, curse, suffering and sadness. All these were the result of the wrong choice that Adam and Eve made when they deliberately chose to disobey God.
It often seems convenient for us as humans who cannot see God, to pass the blame on to Him, not realizing that the fault actually lies with us.
The hatred Cain had for Abel
We read in Genesis 4:8,“Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.” (ESV)
In this incident recorded in Genesis 4 there is a deep sense of hatred that Cain harbored against his brother Abel that resulted in him being murdered, something that was unheard of until then. The question we need to ponder then is, ‘Was God responsible for this act?’
It is time to introspect and to recognize the fact that much of the troubles that we are challenged with are not from God, or from fellow humans, but because of the wrong choices that we have made. Instead of passing the blame on to others or questioning God for these calamities that we encounter, it is important that we own up to our mistakes.
We might have been following the current news from a huge country like the United States. Many parts of this great country have become like battlefields simply because there is so much of hatred amongst fellow citizens. Hatred never comes from God, but has its roots in the heart of men and women.
What is the reason for such calamities?
We are in a time where there is tremendous advancements in the field of medicine, science and technology. This has made man believe that there is nothing that is beyond his control and that he can achieve anything. From the end of 2019 there is an unseen virus that has threatened the whole of humanity. Strangely, the only thing man has been able to do is to contain the spread of this virus using various measures, but have been unable to find a medicine or cure to combat the same. What is more baffling is that this virus can be destroyed with ordinary soap, but once it enters a person, the struggle to overcome it is an arduous task. I believe that one day we will find a cure to fight this virus, but it will still be too late for the many thousands who lost their lives to the same.
This pandemic is a reminder to humanity that there are loads of challenges that are certainly beyond human control. We may have the capacity to send rockets to Mars, but we must constantly keep in mind that there is a sovereign God who created the heavens and the earth who is above all. If we do not acknowledge Him and give Him the place that is due to Him, we will heap loads of hardships on ourselves. I am not undermining medicine, science or technology but it is an appalling thought that in spite of all the so called progress, mankind is still gripped with fear because of the intensity of this virus. It is to such a situation that the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 91:6 comes to comfort us that we need not fear the diseases that stalk us in darkness. The Psalmist specifies night or darkness, because the darkness signifies a time when we feel helpless.
How can we be free from fear?
If we trust God, obey His word, and live in the Kingdom of God we too will be free from every kind of fear. No matter how many generations may pass, mankind will always have to acknowledge that God is sovereign and that we cannot rely on our own understanding. It is only those who trust in the Almighty God completely, will be rid of all their fears and anxieties.
1. Call unto God
We live in a day and age where people have no time for God or His word. There is a story told of a business man who had such a hectic schedule that the only time he could spare for God was an hour on Sunday. The pastor of the church encouraged him to seek God every day of the week. The business man responded to the pastor that this would be an impossibility because of the enormous responsibilities that he shouldered. A few months later, the same business man was completely transformed. He began to be regular to all weekly bible studies and prayer fellowships. The pastor was initially overjoyed that the man had actually heeded his advice. When the pastor commended the man for this change, the man confessed to the pastor that he had been diagnosed with an incurable illness. The doctor had informed him that he could do nothing and told him that God was his only hope. The man had a huge income, wealth, position and everything from a worldly point of view, but in a time of crisis he understood that all these meant nothing to him.
It is interesting to observe that this pandemic has caused fear and panic among the rich and the poor alike, among those who are in high positions and those who have none.
We read in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me, and I will answer you—I will tell you great and hidden things, which you do not know.” (TLV)
God beckons us to call on Him and in order to do so we must be willing to allot a specific time. The Lord guarantees us that when we call unto Him, He will certainly answer us. With calamities all around us, we need not fear, for the Lord will give heed to our cry, and has also promised to reveal great and hidden things that we do not know of.
2. Set our priorities right
To many people their jobs have taken the precedence in their lives. When the government declared the lockdown suddenly everything fell apart, especially for those who could not work from home, and they suddenly felt incapacitated.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33,“But first be concerned about God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well.”(ISV)
The call of God to us is to be in the Kingdom of God under His Lordship alone. For that to happen God must have the top priority or the first place. This verse encourages us that if we seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness then everything else will be added to us as well.
As far as our life as children of God is concerned, everything else that pertains to this world, our family, job, wealth, position and all of it should be secondary. If we try to work it out vice versa it just won’t happen. We need to prioritize God, His Kingdom and righteousness over and above everything else that we hold dear in this life. The righteousness of God is the blessed privilege to stand faultless before the throne of God. If we receive God’s righteousness, there will be no need to long for anything else, for everything else will be added to us as well.
3. Trust in God for everything
We read in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (ESV)
There are many who depend on their own knowledge and understanding. Here the word of God encourages us to place our trust in the Lord. To trust God means to acknowledge that everything comes from God. It is only when we endorse God in everything that He will make our paths straight. Instead of priding ourselves in the fact that we know everything and we can accomplish things on our own, we are called to trust in God. The whole of humanity prided in this, but today everything is in shambles and stands questionable. If we neglect God and think that we can achieve everything in our own strength and understanding, we will with regret as we realize that this is an impossibility.
In conclusion we are called to do three things today if we want to get rid of all our fears. Firstly, call on the Lord and if you have neglected your time of prayer and reading of the word, you can get back to it. We have the assurance that when we call on the Lord He will definitely answer us. Secondly, everything that we prioritized earlier, our jobs, our families, responsibilities let them always be secondary and may God, His kingdom and His righteousness have preeminence in our lives. When we do so God will take care of all our needs and make everything perfect in His time. Thirdly, instead of depending on our own understanding if we can lean on the Lord and acknowledge Him, He will help us overcome every challenge no matter how great it is.
Like the Psalmist we too should have no fear of the pestilence that strikes us in the dark for we are safe and secure under the shadow of the Almighty God.
Pastor F. Andrew Dixon
Transcribed by Sis. Esther Collins
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