From Terrorism to Triumph
LIVING IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, NOT, THE LAND OF THE FEARFUL
Psalm 91 • by Dr. Larry L. Thompson
Introduction:
After the shock of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2002 America found herself attempting to recover and move forward. No sooner had we begun then we faced a new threat which emerged. It was hinted at previously; this week it has been described in greater detail. It appears that additional attacks have been planned—or at least considered. Earlier this year one of the hijackers had attempted to buy (with a government loan, no less) a crop dusting plane that would have allowed him to spread hundreds of gallons of deadly chemicals throughout the countryside, causing more death and misery. The government responded by grounding all crop-dusters until they could further investigate. Following the crop duster communication we intercepted we were suddenly confronted with Anthrax and now we would face the possibility of terrorism by mail. All this was a reminder to us (as if we needed one) that all the enemies of America did not die in the Pentagon and World Trade Center explosions, and they have not, nor will they give up. We are living in a new day in America and we find ourselves living in, “the Land of Fear instead of the Land of the Free.”
These seemingly daily threats make us realize that it is not just those who live in New York, Washington or any major city that are at risk; the threat is real and it is nationwide and we stand against an evil, demonic regime that has but one goal: “Kill everyone who is not exactly like us!”
I don’t say these things to frighten anyone; I’m not trying to create a sense of panic in this day of praise. As a matter of record, today’s message is intended to provide the very antithesis of fear and that is freedom from fear. TODAY’S MESSAGE REMINDS US THAT EVEN IN THE FACE OF TERRORISM, THE THREATS, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE BATTLE, WE CAN STAND STRONG—WITH CONFIDENCE AND COURAGE—WE STAND IN THAT WHICH IS OUR ONLY HOPE – WE STAND RESOLVED AND RECOMMITTED TO OUR NATIONAL MOTTO: IN GOD WE TRUST, KNOWING THAT IF GOD BE FOR US, WE WILL NOT FEAR THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST US.
To find the source for this HOPE we turn to the Psalms 91, where we discover comfort and hope in the words of King David. Psalm 91 serves to remind us of an absolutely crucial Biblical truth: NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, THE ONLY ABSOLUTELY SAFE PLACE TO BE IS IN THE ARMS OR THE PRESENCE OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD. I want you to know that his arms are open wide. He receives everyone who runs to him. The terrorism that has struck America has caused many people to return to God, and he welcomes each and every one. He speaks these words of HOPE to our life, "Come to me and I will heal your pain, I will take away your fear, I will give you hope and strength. Come to me."
Psalm 91:1-16 (page 424 in your pew Bible)
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [2] I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. [3]
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. [4] He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. [5] You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, [6] nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. [7] A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. [8] You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. [9] If you make the Most High your dwelling--even the Lord, who is my refuge-- [10] then no harm will befall you; no disaster will come near your tent. [11] For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; [12] they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. [13] You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
[14] "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. [15] He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. [16] With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91 teaches all of us a crucial lesson for life—a lesson we need to live by whether we are at war against terrorism or whether we are enjoying a period of peace; whether we are experiencing economic prosperity or whether we are struggling waiting for economic recovery; whether our family life is terrific or whether you find your home torn in conflict – this is THE truth we need to remember...THE truth we must have to live in victory: THE TRUTH THAT I SPEAK OF TODAY MAY APPEAR ELEMENTARY BUT I ASSURE YOU IT IS ALSO ETERNAL…IT IS THIS TRUTH: “IN GOD WE TRUST!”
Our trust is not founded on Colin Powell’s ability, or the U.S. military or any international coalition. Our trust must not be built on Alan Greenspan or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Our trust does not find its security in the CIA, the FBI, or the newly created agency that is named, “Homeland Security. As much as I love our President…man, is it ever good to be able to say, “our President,” and even though we live in the greatest nation that civilization has ever known, our trust is not found resting in this nation or her leaders. In fact, I would submit to you today that the reason our nation is so great and has not only survived but flourished through its relatively young history is that we, AMERICANS, CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES, proudly pledge our allegiance that we are, “ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE AND FOR ALL.” Therein lays the secret to our strength. While I am so very thankful for a military that is ready a moment’s notice to defend this land, America’s hope is not in Americans. America’s hope is in her trust in God! GOD alone is our source and OUR very reason for living in faith, not in fear.
This is the spiritual lesson that many Americans are learning today. Like Prodigal Children, America had wandered into a morally declining climate that we had never known, we continued down that path that leads to death, neglecting the God that we had so proudly pledged our allegiance. In our times of prosperity, following the example of the PRODIGAL, we squandering our resources on foolishness. Then, suddenly on September 11, 2002, America woke up and realized our great loss, like that young son of Luke 15, America began to come to her senses, and many Americans began returning to their FATHER’S HOUSE confessing that they need the God their mothers and fathers and grandparents had all spoken of with such reverence. Scores of this nation’s children are learning the lesson all over again, we are returning to our roots and we are confessing in our time of pain, fear and famine, “Our hope, our trust is not in ourselves; our hope and trust is in your Lord God—YOU ARE OUR SOURCE, AND IN YOU WE TRUST. YOU ARE MY VICTORY AND YOU TURN THE ATTACKS OF TERRORISIM DIRECTED AT ME, MY FAMILY AND MY NATION INTO DAYS OF TRIUMPH, AND PEACE THAT REPLACED FEAR WITH FAITH.
In God we Trust…we discover all we need to get through every difficult day our enemies have planned for us. Psalm 91 provides for us four solid pillars that are found in our sincere confession, IN GOD WE TRUST.
When we place our TRUST in God alone then we are promised:
1. SHELTER (v.1-2)
(v. 1-2) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Shelter. Refuge. Fortress. These are essential and vital words. The Hebrew word for "shelter" means "a place to hide from your enemies." The Hebrew word for "Refuge" means, "A place to run to for safety." The Hebrew word for Fortress (which is also translated "stronghold") means "the one who keeps me above the non-believers." These words remind us that during times of trouble, we can run to God and he will take care of us. Like a kid runs to his big brother for shelter from a bully, we can run to God for shelter from anything that life throws our way. Like a small child hides behind his mother’s apron when he is afraid, we can hide in the presence of our God.
The other word I want you to notice is the word "rest."
(v. 1) “He...will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
A few years ago I was under tremendous stress in seemingly every area of life: We took Jennifer to college and for a week I basically stayed in a hotel room and read the Bible and prayed. I got away from the stress of the daily battle and the hectic schedules, and I took the time to re-connect with the Lord. If you were to ask every member of my family they would tell you that this period in my life God used to change many things about my relationship to Him as well as my home and ministry. Looking back on that time I can say with absolute assurance that I found rest in the Shadow of the Almighty.
Our relationship with God is, in itself, a retreat. We can run to him anytime and find rest for our souls. These were Jesus’ exact words to us...
“Come to me all who weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
God is our place of shelter. When the bad news of the world piles up and it seems that you can’t take any more heartache or sorrow, you can run to him, and he will give you rest. God is our source He is our SHELTER; He gives us rest.
When we place our TRUST in God alone then we are promised, 1. SHELTER and…:
2. STRENGTH (v.5-8)
Strength and Courage has been the buzzwords these past few months. We’ve seen strength and courage at work in the thousands of people who rushed in to help the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center. We’ve seen strength and courage in the men who resisted the highjackers on United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in rural Pennsylvania. Their strength and courage saved hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives. We’ve seen strength and courage in our president. We’ve seen strength and courage in the thousands of troops that have been deployed to the Mid-East to prepare for possible battle. And now we, Americans, “ordinary citizens” must show strength and courage. We cannot give in to fear. Nor do we even have to consider fear an option. I have mentioned before that we show strength and courage by moving forward with our lives: continuing to work, continuing to invest, continuing to build, continuing to dream, and continuing to hope. All Americans need to remember that our source of strength and courage in not in our own abilities, but in the God we trust. Listen to what David said...
(v.5-8) “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.”
Have we seen the last attack on American soil? I seriously doubt we have but no one knows. But I do know this: we can face each day with strength and courage – we don’t have to lie awake at night fearing the absolute worst. We don’t have to put our lives on hold. We don’t have to let our economy fall apart. We don’t have to surrender our hopes and dreams for the future. WHY? Because we don’t have to fear the terror of the night. We can put ours trust and our lives in God’s hands.
The words of Franklin D. Roosevelt have been repeated numerous times during the last few months: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” We know now how true these words are. Fear holds you back, it paralyzes you. Fear causes you to withdraw. Fear turns an optimist into a pessimist.
Osama Bin Laden said in the released TV interview after the attack on September 11th “America is the Great Satan, America is a coward and now pain has come to them and America will run and hide.” WRONG, Camel Breath! The last time I looked we are still here and you were the one hiding like some rat in a cave. You failed in your calculations of the resolve of America. You failed in your estimation of the number of God-fearing people that pray daily for this country and our leaders. You failed in placing your faith in anyone other than the ONE TRUE LIVING GOD, Jehovah, the Three in one, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And as God’s people, we know that His hand rests upon us. He is with us every step of the way in this life, and when our life is over, we are with him throughout eternity. This is why Paul said...
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
And it is why David said...
“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1)
In these troubled times of world terrorism, God IS your source of strength; He will give you courage. However, like Osama, you have a choice…you can choose the gods of this world or the God of this book whose historical record and victory and power is without error or equal.
When we place our TRUST in God alone, we are promised, 1. SHELTER, 2. STRENGTH, and…:
3. SECURITY (v.9-10)
For the last several years, Osama bin Laden has been protected from his enemies by Afghanistan’s Taliban regime. Osama put his trust in the Taliban. His security was based upon their ability to protect him. And now that the whole world, including Muslims, Jews and Christians, have turned against this desert thug and his Al Quieda operatives. Suddenly the ability to protect him--and protect themselves – is nothing more than wild dream. His days were numbered.
JOKE: Osama’s head of defense was told to evaluate America’s resolve to strike back and report back and give him the best estimate. The head of defense returns the next day and says, “Oh great Osama, I fear I have bad news. We have examined our intelligence reports regarding the American resolve and I hate to tell you I fear you will join Allah soon.”
Osama is aghast and says, “Soon, how soon?” The defense ministry thinks for a moment and says, “9 perhaps 10 at best.” Osama, “10 what? Years? Months? Days?”
Defense minister looks at him and says, “9-8-7-6!”
President Bush announced that America had frozen the assets of 27 entities who were involved in the financing of terrorist activities. Not only is he defending with the United States Military power but also our President is chocking off their funds used to finance this coward’s war.
They have no one else to turn to. No one to protect them. The so called "god" to whom they pray, who is not the God of the Bible, and their god can do nothing for them. They have sought protection from a source that does not have the power to protect. God told Israel when they disregarded their love for him and began to worship the gods of this world, “You are serving a god that has eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, a mouth but cannot speak and the greatest tragedy is that it is a god YOU CREATED!” Sadly, Osama is not the only one who has been guilty of creating their own god for their own purposes. Many here today have followed that same pattern. It’s not that you are involved in Islam but you serve the gods of materialism, the gods of immorality, the gods of self-righteousness. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO TRUST YOUR ETERNAL SECURITY TO THE gods IN WHICH YOU HAVE CREATED?
The question each of us must ask ourselves is "Who is our source of SECURITY?” We know that even though we have the greatest government on earth, the source of safety is not in our government. We have the most powerful military on earth, but our source of safety is not in the armed forces. We had better learn from history and realize there is ONLY ONE TRUE LIVING God, and God alone, is our source of SECURITY. David said...
(v. 9-10) “If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.”
He goes on to say...
(v.11-12) “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot upon a stone.”
Do you recognize this verse? It’s the verse Satan misquoted to Jesus during his temptation in the wilderness. Satan misquoted this verse to tempt Jesus to take it out of context and apply it where it doesn’t apply. This verse is about God’s ultimate protection. Though it may have appeared that the Enemy enjoyed victory over Jesus—It may have appeared that He was beaten, that He was crucified, He was actually protected by the mighty hand of God. On the third day after his death, Jesus rose from the dead. Even death couldn’t harm him.”
These verses apply to each of us as just as they applied to Christ. We have God’s promise of his ultimate protection. Though thousands lost their lives in the attack, those who called out to him are now safely in his presence. The first American that lost their life in this war in Afghanistan was a CIA officer and he was a devout believer. You may ask, “Where was God? I thought he was our shelter, our strength and our security?” The parents and the widow of this young man appeared on Larry King and was asked, “How are you coping with this great loss?” The widow responded, “We are all believers in Jesus Christ. What that means is because Jesus conquered death. Because He lives my husband also lives and is alive today and we will all be reunited in eternity.” So you understand, even if innocent Americans are victims of another attack, all who call out to God, placing their faith in Jesus Christ will find eternal security in Him.
(v. 14) “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.”
Our Security is not in an unstable political regime, but neither is it in the most powerful political system in our world today. Our source of Security is in God. If you allow him, He will also be your source; he will protect you!
When we place our TRUST in God alone then we are promised, 1. SHELTER, 2. STRENGTH, 3. SECURITY and finally…:
4. SALVATION
David concludes Psalm 91 with the very words of God...
(v.15-16) “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
My prayer has continued to be that in the face of these terrorist acts, millions and millions of people will turn to Christ for their salvation. Yes, we want our nation to be “saved” so that we can continue to live in freedom and prosperity. We want the nation of Afghanistan to be “saved” so that their people will experience freedom from oppression, freedom from poverty, freedom from fear.
But there is another type of salvation that I pray the people of our nation, and the people of every nation on earth will experience: the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ alone. He alone has the power to save us; he alone has the power to save them. He can save us all from our sins, from our hatred, from our intolerance, from our need to see different cultures as the enemy, from our lust for power, from our greed, from ourselves. He alone is our salvation.
We must remember that salvation is a personal experience. God’s people are not defined by their ethnic features or their nationality; they’re defined by their relationship to Jesus Christ. My prayer is that every one in this world would hear the ONE TRUE MESSAGE OF THE ONE TRUE GOD and they would respond by faith and receive Him personally.
“He [God] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1Timothy 2:4)
We need God to save our nation from the enemy, but we also need him to save our souls, as well. A greater tragedy than the attack we’ve just endured would be if we fail to recognize our need for salvation from sin.
CONCLUSION
There is a song of praise that we will sing often in our fellowship. The truth of this chorus comes from Psalm 91…
My life is in you, Lord
My strength is in you, Lord
My hope is in you, Lord
In you, it’s in you.
That song can become your song of salvation today! That song can become your prayer. God is our source: HE IS OUR SHELTER, OUR STRENGTH, OUR SECURITY, and OUR SALVATION. He gives us rest in the midst of our greatest trials; He gives us courage in the face of terrorism; He protects us in the midst of danger; He saves us from evil that is within and without. God is our source, and in our triumph over terrorism is found when by faith we proclaim, IN GOD I TRUST!
