ACKNOWLEDGING THE OBVIOUS

Numbers 24:1-25:18; Luke 2:1-35; Psalm 59:1-17; Proverbs 11:14

 “By now Balaam realized that the Lord was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before.”

 “Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’”

 “You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress.
In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me. He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.”

Few of us give enough credence to the Bible. Were it otherwise, there would be many less folks succumbing to the current economic panic, and the incessant negativity of our media. Not to say these aren’t difficult times; they are. But they are also some of the “troubled” times Jesus promised in John 10:10. Since Jesus foresaw them, and also promised He had already overcome them, our fear now, on a spiritual level, is simply reengaging an enemy which has already been defeated. It’s counterproductive, and probably dangerous, as it distracts us from the blessings we still do have that could help the situation. We are still in God’s hands. We are, in fact, where He knew we’d be.  Things are not out of control; we people are just once again recognizing how little control we have in ourselves.  What a great time to make a conscious effort to return to God! Most of us are wasting too much energy trying to predict and prepare for a dismal future instead of working to change our view of the present and, so, the future’s direction.

It bears repeating: “Fear not!” is one of the most oft-quoted commands of God in the Bible. It is not optional. It is not conditional. It is how He wants us to live. If He has commanded it, then we also have the power to do it. When anxiety comes knocking with its special package of uncertainties, we have the power to refuse delivery. This is not wishful thinking; it’s acknowledging the obvious… at least, according to the Bible.

There is power in acknowledging the “obvious,” particularly when those around us don’t see it. “Glory to God!” for a cast-off child in a manger?  You bet.  Blessing an enemy in front of an opposing commander? If it’s God’s Will. Relying on God to rescue us? Absolutely! That’s not the whole story, of course. The Spirit is gonna need the minds and muscle of many believers to get us through these days. But first, we have to get past the fear. He has already overcome, so get through this, we will. The sun will rise on a brighter day!