In the Midst of Fear, We Can Be Assured of God’s Love

I serve as the new pastor of the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Port Arthur. This year we have all become keenly aware of the destructive force of a major hurricane. While I am new to the Texas area, I am a native of North Carolina and I have had prior experience with these awful storms. Hurricanes are a fact of life when you live on a shore line, but the recent devastation to the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama coast have brought renewed awareness and fear to us all. As I write, Hurricane Rita is battering lower Florida and headed for Texas. The loss of life and property looks to be overwhelming.
Fear is a basic human instinct, but it is one that can be rational or irrational. Some people fear things such as spiders, snakes, even bugs. Others may fear less rational things such as flying, crowds, or even a trip to the dentist’s office. In fact, studies have shown that the number one fear is that of public speaking… even more so than death which comes in at number two. Ironically, when I preach a funeral, people present to say goodbye to their loved one may fear getting into the pulpit more than getting into the box!But, fortunately, we don’t have to live in fear of salvation on a daily basis. We know that God is a loving God who doesn’t send awful storms… or tornadoes… or disease… or disability. Jesus, God in the flesh, spent his days trying to help people who suffered affliction, spiritual deprivation, even death itself. Our God is a loving God who Jesus referred to as Father and told us to do the same. A Father loves his children, when we are well and especially when we suffer. God does not delight is human suffering, even for those who we might think “deserve it”. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, some said the city of New Orleans deserved God’s wrath. Respectfully, I disagree! We live in an imperfect world where bad things happen to good people and bad people alike. God loves all of His children, that’s everyone… whether they know it or not. Therefore, you and I can live lives with the full knowledge that God loves us. Each day, no matter if a hurricane is on the way or the sky is blue, we know that God loves us and our eternal salvation waits. Once we know this, we can live here on earth with a new found freedom. We no longer fear death, but know it to be a homecoming. We can live for our Lord and set our priorities accordingly.