Phyllis Beveridge Nissila
Co-Saints,
One thing the real “enemy” of us knows (the invisible one from the hot place below who commandeers the visible ones here) is the power of fear to control people.
Ever notice, for example, how compliant and easily herded we can become when some larger-than-life threat, even just the fear of it, snakes loose on the airwaves, in the politics, and/or off of the slick tongue of some would-be potentate who understands and employs the psychology of evil to hopefully become King of the Hill?
Also notice how there are typically more “fear fronts” as the big guns of tyranny rumble closer?
Me, too.
Yikes much.
Just as fear can affect psychological health as the “fight, flight, or freeze” response takes over and remains past its usefulness date, fear and its major component, stress, affects us physiologically, too.
At the very least, stress of any kind, like a low-grade fever, if not dealt with quickly and as needed to regain mental and/or physical health, eventually compromises the immune system leaving us not only mentally but also physically weakened—thus more vulnerable–to anybody, SOMEBODY, who can make it all stop!
“Easy-peasy,” the commandeered-one waiting in the wings might think. “THEY will want me! Indeed, they might even CLAMOR for me! Hmmmm, better yet, maybe I can even get them to BOW DOWN…”
Meanwhile, we mortals struggle to retain what we might of critical thinking fast disintegrating like pixels disappearing off the screen in clumps as the ink is barely dry on one headline of disaster before another appears.
We struggle to know what to do, threatened as well by echoes of this century’s version of the hired mercenaries shouting “Schnell!” as they poke and prod us by some mechanism of metal or mind-control into the waiting holds…
(As the Christians ask each other, “Now, WHAT chapter of the Book of Revelation do you think is taking place today?!”)
Okay.
Breathe in to a count of eight and out again to a count of sixteen…
GOD’S ANTIDOTE (TAKE AT WILL)
As usual, the real Commander in Chief (the invisible One from the High Place who loves, strengthens, encourages, comforts, instructs, leads and guides His visible ones, here) knows—and shows us—the antidote for all that evil, indeed, chapter and verse of not only the details of dread, so we can be prepared, but the details of deliverance, so we can retain our joy as we look up, our redemption surely nigh.
Here is one of my all time favorite examples of help and comfort and one that comes to mind more and more often as the evil of the day, minute, rumbles closer:
My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you (Proverbs 3:1-2, NASB, emphasis, mine).
Among other things, “peace,” shalom, defines as “well being, ease, health,” and “security”.
But mostly, believe it or not, even in the muck and middle of all the mayhem, it still means good, old-fashioned peace.
Imagine that! Even though in this era, most of OUR days might be ahead of us in that aforementioned “high place”.
Stay close to Him.
Stay tuned.
What’s YOUR antidote today?
***
Might I also recommend Psalm 91, the all-time greatest (Bible) hit for help in hard times? For your encouragement and edification, I have written a 48-page, free, devotional booklet on this helpful Psalm available in the “free downloads” page, and here:
https://pnissila.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/in-the-midst-of-the-fray-psalm-91-devotionals.pdf
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Letters to The Remnant, 4: God’s Antidote for CHAOS AND MAYHEM AND FEAR, OH MY!
Phyllis Beveridge Nissila
Co-Saints,
One thing the real “enemy” of us knows (the invisible one from the hot place below who commandeers the visible ones here) is the power of fear to control people.
Ever notice, for example, how compliant and easily herded we can become when some larger-than-life threat, even just the fear of it, snakes loose on the airwaves, in the politics, and/or off of the slick tongue of some would-be potentate who understands and employs the psychology of evil to hopefully become King of the Hill?
Also notice how there are typically more “fear fronts” as the big guns of tyranny rumble closer?
Me, too.
Yikes much.
Just as fear can affect psychological health as the “fight, flight, or freeze” response takes over and remains past its usefulness date, fear and its major component, stress, affects us physiologically, too.
At the very least, stress of any kind, like a low-grade fever, if not dealt with quickly and as needed to regain mental and/or physical health, eventually compromises the immune system leaving us not only mentally but also physically weakened—thus more vulnerable–to anybody, SOMEBODY, who can make it all stop!
“Easy-peasy,” the commandeered-one waiting in the wings might think. “THEY will want me! Indeed, they might even CLAMOR for me! Hmmmm, better yet, maybe I can even get them to BOW DOWN…”
Meanwhile, we mortals struggle to retain what we might of critical thinking fast disintegrating like pixels disappearing off the screen in clumps as the ink is barely dry on one headline of disaster before another appears.
We struggle to know what to do, threatened as well by echoes of this century’s version of the hired mercenaries shouting “Schnell!” as they poke and prod us by some mechanism of metal or mind-control into the waiting holds…
(As the Christians ask each other, “Now, WHAT chapter of the Book of Revelation do you think is taking place today?!”)
Okay.
Breathe in to a count of eight and out again to a count of sixteen…
GOD’S ANTIDOTE (TAKE AT WILL)
As usual, the real Commander in Chief (the invisible One from the High Place who loves, strengthens, encourages, comforts, instructs, leads and guides His visible ones, here) knows—and shows us—the antidote for all that evil, indeed, chapter and verse of not only the details of dread, so we can be prepared, but the details of deliverance, so we can retain our joy as we look up, our redemption surely nigh.
Here is one of my all time favorite examples of help and comfort and one that comes to mind more and more often as the evil of the day, minute, rumbles closer:
My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you (Proverbs 3:1-2, NASB, emphasis, mine).
Among other things, “peace,” shalom, defines as “well being, ease, health,” and “security”.
But mostly, believe it or not, even in the muck and middle of all the mayhem, it still means good, old-fashioned peace.
Imagine that! Even though in this era, most of OUR days might be ahead of us in that aforementioned “high place”.
Stay close to Him.
Stay tuned.
What’s YOUR antidote today?
***
Might I also recommend Psalm 91, the all-time greatest (Bible) hit for help in hard times? For your encouragement and edification, I have written a 48-page, free, devotional booklet on this helpful Psalm available in the “free downloads” page, and here:
https://pnissila.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/in-the-midst-of-the-fray-psalm-91-devotionals.pdf
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