Don’t Panic
Today’s scripture selection: Psalms 9-11
Key verses: Psalm 11:1
Ever feel like running for the hills? I know I do.
But, thanks to God, it doesn’t happen often. In a world that seems to be running at an ever more frantic pace, I am reminded of today’s advice from the Psalms:
“In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain….When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ “
David, who was well acquainted with having the dogs nipping at his heels, has one and only one answer:
“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.”
In other words – there’s no reason to panic – because God has everything under control, even when we feel anything but “in control.”
I remember watching a scene in a movie where, in the midst of a crisis, the President of the United States is told by a member of his staff, “O.K. – the important thing here is not to appear we’re panicking.” He just smiles and responds calmly, “Now, see, that’s funny. I think the important thing here is that we actually NOT panic.”
Well said. In the everyday challenges of life, some of which will inevitably escalate to crises, it’s important to not just “appear” calm – we need to actually remain calm.
Keeping our eyes on Jesus can enable us to do that.
Prayer: Thank you Lord, for enabling me to breathe deeply; walk a little slower; think a little clearer – and remember you are there with me in all that I face every single day. AMEN.
By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
View all of Paul Simrell's posts.
IGW3 - In God's Word, In God's Will, In God's Work 