It's a Confidence For All Seasons!

Psalm 27

 ¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation—
      so why should I be afraid?
   The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
      so why should I tremble?
 ² When evil people come to devour me,
      when my enemies and foes attack me,
      they will stumble and fall.
 ³ Though a mighty army surrounds me,
      my heart will not be afraid.
   Even if I am attacked,
      I will remain confident.

 ⁴ The one thing I ask of the Lord—

      the thing I seek most—

   is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

      delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

Thought For the Day
Charlie Brown agonizes, "If she mentions exploratory surgery, I'll scream!"
            I'm a lot like Charlie Brown -- most of us are, aren't we? We often let our fears run away with us. We live in an anxious age, and we've grown accustomed to borrowing trouble -- it's a trait of our life. We live on edge more often than we live in peace.
            We fear economic setback and loss. Reflect upon the conversations you've had this past week. I would be surprised if any one of you did not have some occasion to express or hear someone else express fear about the economic situation.
            We fear the future. This is a sort of floating fear that we can't always name or specify. Many times it's vague, but it stirs within leaving us unsettled and uncertain. It has to do with the core issue of being human and thus being vulnerable to hazards, some of which threaten our physical being and that of those we love. So we fear the future because change is such a distinctive characteristic of our daily lives.
            We could go on and on. We fear death, we fear abandonment, we fear losing a loved one either by death or divorce. We fear being cut off or ostracized. We fear the loss of friends and the loss of The Lord protection for us, in the way that matters -- ultimately. He may not protect us from trouble by shielding us from it -- but He will protect us in trouble. He may not save us from death, but He will save us in death.
      Many of our problems and troubles are manageable. They have no destructive power except as we allow our fear to give them power.  Some of our troubles and fears, can be converted from problems to power, so our problems and troubles can be a blessing not a curse. Finally, there is ultimate protection from all our enemies -- divine protection for those who trust the Lord. Whatever social status we have.


Today's ADVENTure
When you see a tree with its leaves on the ground at its feet, remember that the tree trusts the Lord for its ultimate protection, and waits patiently for the return of God's warm spring.