March 23, 2020

Because Jehovah is Still God

Psalm 91 Part 4

Rev. Dr. Mark Raeburn Johnston

 

“…His truth shall be your shield and buckler…

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.”   (Psalm 91:4-6)

Psalm 91 speaks of cosmic warfare and God’s protection over all who place their trust in Him. God’s truth, described as a shield, deflects the destructive lies of the enemy who would capture our souls just as a fowler traps a bird.

Truth dismantles the power of the lie. The truth sets us free from error and leads us upon the paths of righteousness and eternal life.

When fear threatens us with the worldly notion that God is not to be found, that we have somehow been abandoned by heaven, we simply point to Scripture truth, our shield.

We proclaim, “I belong to the Lord!” and we stand upon the promises of His Word! It is written in His word that He will never ‘leave us nor forsake us” and that God will protect us. Consider these promises from the Scriptures;

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you.” 

(Deuteronomy 31:6)

“… ‘For He Himself has said,

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.’

So we may boldly say:

‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can anyone do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

We need not fear what this Psalm calls, the terror of night, the arrow of day, the pestilence that walks in darkness nor the destruction that wastes at noonday!

Saint Augustine identified these four evils as demons that war against humanity.

In medieval times these demon-spirits were thought to manifest at the cardinal times of midnight, dawn, noontime and sunset in accordance with the Psalmists’ description.

But greater than our twenty-four day is the One who created all time and eternity, the heavens and the stars. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End!  He is our God and the Author of our faith! The Lord is our Helper in our time of need!

In “The Hidden Price of Greatness” the story of Chinese missionary Gladys Aylward is presented as an example of such trust.

Evacuating Yangcheng during the Japanese invasion of China during World War II, Gladys guided over one hundred orphaned children through the treacherous terrain to safety and eventual rescue.

But her long journey was filled with anxieties, fears and difficult trials.

One evening during that journey, finally stalled by discouragement and exhaustion, she despaired of any hope of completing her mission.

Then one of the children reminded her of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.

“But I am not Moses,” Gladys responded.

“Of course, you aren’t,” the child replied;

“but Jehovah is still God!”

Because Jehovah is still God, we are still protected! Because Jehovah is still God, we have a living hope!

Our enemies, no matter who or what they are, will not overcome God’s truth and love!

Let’s remind one another that God can and will set us free from the fearful power of the terror of the night, the arrow of the day, the pestilence in the darkness and the noonday destruction. Let’s not forget that the Lord still knows how to deliver those who are called by His Name! Finally, let’s take a few moments and thank the Lord in prayer! Jehovah is still God!