Fear of life or fear of the Lord?

It seems like the economic and political world is swirling faster and faster and faster into.... no one really knows where.  For many people their personal lives feel the same: employment, financial, relationship, etc. chaos.  While the reality of this present moment for our family is that we are relatively stable, the clouds of fear around us and the uncertainties outside our family lend their own type of chaos.

Last spring I saw Laura Story in concert at a local church.  One of the songs she shared, "Perfect Peace," has these lyrics:

Stay close by My side
Keep your eyes on Me
Though this life is hard
I will give you perfect peace

In this time of trial
Pain that no one sees
Trust Me when I say
That I will give you perfect peace

Burdens that you bear
Offer no relief
Let Me bear your load
'Cause I will give you perfect peace

And you'll never walk alone
And you'll never be in need
Though I may not calm the storms around you
You can hide in Me

Stay close by My side
And you'll never walk alone
Keep your eyes on Me
And you'll never be in need
Though this life is hard
Know that I will always give you perfect peace
I will give you perfect peace

She made mention of this part of a verse from the hymn "The Solid Rock" (Mote/Bradbury-Public Domain):

When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay

I find myself, and perhaps you do, too, crying out to the Lord for two things right now:  1. protection from the storms of fear that are attacking us and 2. wisdom to know what is God's way of dealing with the storms and the decisions we face.

These scriptures have been helpful to me and I share them hoping they will bless you, too.

^29-31 ...the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.   The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.   (Psalm 37 NIV)

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; 
       all who follow his precepts have good understanding. 
       To him belongs eternal praise. (Psalm 111:10 NIV)

⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, 
       but fools despise wisdom and discipline. (Prov. 1:7 NIV)

For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.  Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.  Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. (Proverbs 2:10-15 NIV)

[I'd better go on to another book; there's LOTS to say from Proverbs....]

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5 NIV)

So, my prayer for you and for me, for our church and our nation is simple:

God, protect us from fear of anything that is not of you; remind us to call on your power and the reality that you are in control. And give us abundant wisdom in our interactions with this world.  For your honor, for your glory, for the furtherance of your Kingdom through your Church.  Amen.

"Perfect Peace" by Laura Story   (c) 2007 New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)
Gleaning Publishing (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing)