I will fear no evil nor any scary news, for You are with me. Psalm 23:4 paraphrase

This morning, Joe challenged and encouraged us as he preached through John 21:18-19, adding some life-altering applications.

My major takeaway came from this premise—We should draw comfort and find stability in the truth that God has ordained everything in our lives. As the Almighty Sovereign who lovingly works all things for our good, neither luck, chance, nor accidents exist. Yes, harm can befall us, but all events are in His hands. Therefore, no one can say truthfully, “What dumb luck”, or “she never gets a chance”, or “he’s accident-prone.”

I can sense God growing me out of my former identity as a practiced negative forecaster. For some years now, I’ve been pleading with my Father all the while trying to break this self-sabotaging habit. Is it not insane to imagine all that might go wrong instead of all that might go right?  Who really wants to be depressed in this way, just from our own thoughts!

With the world in a media-proclaimed crisis in the Middle East, I woke up this Sunday morning with a pressing need to Feed on Him and meditate on what is beautiful, good, and life-giving. Of course, the Holy Spirit came through. 

Daily, I ease into time with the Lord through reading and praying through two pages of a small book by Ken Boa: Handbook to Renewal:Renewing Your Mind with Affirmations from Scripture. Today’s readings included Psalm 23.  I paused and lingered when I read:  I will fear no evil, for You are with me. 

What a lot to draw out from that affirmation. I noticed that ‘evil’ is assumed—no denying the reality in God’s Word. Yes, our world is broken and suffering is woven through every facet. Who can deny that all humans are sinful and Satan is our enemy?

But God teaches that we have agency.  I CAN decide not to practice fear, empowered by grace and truth.  What is that truth?  That Jesus, through His Spirit, is always with me. 

So, Joe’s proclaiming that luck, chance and accidents not only don’t happen, they can’t occur made me breathe with relief. 

Fretting about what might occur tomorrow–as in, for example, “What if I get into a car accident?”—is fruitless. Of course I should pray for protection, but then follow that with a calm relaxing into God’s promised care. 

Two realities support that. First, my fretting won’t block suffering.  And second, if God’s plan for tomorrow includes pain or sorrow, I can trust that He has also foreordained more than enough grace. What gives me most peace is that He has assured me of constant presence as the Good Shepherd.

Father, help me put my active imagination to better use—imagining all the good that you have destined for me. “How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” Psalm 31:19