The Cure for Fear - Introduction

This is what the Sovereign Lord , the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, “No, we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! You said, “We will ride off on swift horses.” Therefore your pursuers will be swift! A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.’ Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:15‭-‬18 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/isa.30.15-18.NIVUK There is doubt right now that we are facing a global crisis. As I write these words, the death toll from Coronavirus is mounting. Entire cities and regions are under quarantine. Panic buying is hitting the supply of essential items hard. People have even resorted to stealing medical supplies from hospitals. Racist attacks are taking place in our streets. For some it feels like the end of the world. But before we leap to false conclusions, let me tell you something straight. It is not. Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety’, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:1‭-‬4 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/1th.5.1-4.NIVUK Paul mentions here that the Lord will come at a time of peace and safety, when the He is least expected. Does this feel like peace and safety to you? He twice mentions that the Lord will come like a thief. Jesus Himself also said this: ‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:42‭-‬44 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.24.42-44.NIVUK So if the Lord will come like a thief in the night, in a time of peace and safety, when we are not expecting Him, and the troubles of this life cause us to expect Him, is He coming now? No. But do we need to be ready for His coming so we are not taken by surprise when He comes? Absolutely. Yes. So how then should Christians react to the global crisis we are now facing, and its knock-on effect for our economies? These verses tell us. And maybe it's not how you would expect. We will start by examining THE SITUATION when these verses were first written in my next post.