Mere Mortals
Today’s scripture selection: Psalms 54-56
Key verses: Psalm 56:3-4
What are most afraid of?
Is it being…
- Impoverished?
- Alone?
- Ill?
- Unsuccessful?
- Attacked by others?
Or it is any of a thousand other things that keep people awake at night?
If you think about it – most all of them have something in common. They are the ills of “this” world. And, many of them are brought upon us by the people of this world – people who have their own hang-ups and problems.
Well, David certainly knew all about that. His life was filled with problems – some he brought upon himself and some others visited upon him.
What is wonderful about his testimony in Psalm 56 is that he realizes that ultimately, with God at his side, those problems – and those people – have little ultimate power.
Now, when you are in the midst of crisis, it’s hard to believe that. Problems and the relationships that are part of them often seem monstrous in proportion to us.
But listen to David’s testimony:
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise – in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals to me?”
Mere mortals – and the problems of this world – they may seem overpowering. But they are small compared to the incomparable power of God. Fear of them – that’s the real problem.
Overcome that, with prayerful trust in God, and everything will be put in proper perspective – eternal perspective.
Then you can start finding solutions.
Prayer: Father God, help me to keep an eternal perspective on my worldly problems. 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
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