Dear First Pres,
This past Sunday morning we started our worship services with the reading of Psalm 46. I pray that this psalm has been on your mind this week. If it hasn’t, I hope this letter puts it there again.
The psalm starts this way:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging
Fear. It’s been a thing over the last 10 months, hasn’t it? There has been fear about the virus, fear about the economy, fear about the future of the church, fear about where the culture is going, fear about our kids, fear about our parents, fear about things lost, and fear about our country.
But Psalm 46 declares this all-important reminder: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” That is the truth that underlies the next verse: “Therefore, we will not fear.” The reality of God’s presence is the reminder we need when we feel fear rising in our souls. No matter what happens, even if the world is falling apart, we can be comforted, encouraged, and inspired by God’s presence and strength.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of things in our lives and in our world that cause us concern. My list of concerns in the life of our congregation and beyond is long right now … really long. That’s why I have to keep fighting for faith, setting my mind on things above (Col. 3:1), and presenting my concerns to the Lord in prayer so that those concerns don’t become overwhelming. That’s what Jesus did. When His concerns about the cross and all that it meant were at their height, Jesus fought for faith in Gethsemane. He prayed. He set His mind on His heavenly Father. And He surrendered to Him.
Are you fighting for your faith? Are you setting your mind on things above? Are you lifting up your concerns to the Lord Almighty in prayer?
The psalm ends with this refrain: “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Beloved, there is no other fortress which will hold forever. There is no other fortress that will never be overcome by the enemy or weakened by the destructive forces of nature. The Lord Almighty, Himself, is our eternal fortress. Hallelujah! May we experience Him as our fortress more and more.
Blessings,
Pastor Jeremy
P.S. Please notice all the information below. In particular, there is new information about how you can help with our annual Congregational Meeting coming up on February 7. Make sure you check that out.
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