February 19, 2025

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

A Satisfied Life

It reads like a Hollywood thriller:

Terror at night . . . armies attacking . . . a stalking enemy . . . plagues . . . pestilence . . . wild animals . . .

Those are all descriptors found in Psalm 91 of the dangers you and I face in this world. It paints a pretty bleak picture! In fact, if reading merely from the perspective of what you are up against, you are liable to throw in the towel! After all, who can possibly survive one of those things, much less all of them?

Maybe more to the point, who would want to? How is the life described above—one marked with constant danger, fear, and trepidation—worth living?

You have almost surely asked yourself some form of that question at least once in your life. Psychologically, it is a rather normal part of the human condition to look around and consider all that could go wrong, and in some cases even what probably will go wrong. It can be extremely disorienting, and it can leave you paralyzed with fear.

That is exactly what the enemy wants, and it is why he is desperate to keep you focused on the terror and the enemies and the pestilence. If he can keep your attention on those things, he wins because he can keep you in a state of worry and anxiety. In essence, he can keep you in neutral. You see, the enemy of your soul doesn’t have to take you out to accomplish his mission. He just has to keep you occupied and on the sideline.

He has no power to actually defeat you, but if he can keep you occupied with all the lesser powers this world will throw against you, he can keep you from reading the second part of your story—the part that makes Psalm 91 so familiar to you:

Rest . . . refuge . . . fortress . . . saving . . . covering . . . shield . . . protection . . . no harm or disaster . . . angelic protection . . . God’s presence and protection in times of trouble . . . a long life . . . salvation.

My friend, those are the attributes of your story with real power! Those are the things that should command your attention and that will win out in the end, even in the face of worldly adversity. Those are the things that will mark your life if you will turn your attention to them, because they have the power to overcome all the wiles of the enemy (Eph. 6:11).

It is a simple truth for you today. The enemy would have you read only half the story. If you do, you will encounter a half-truth of danger and fear that you cannot overcome on your own. But if you will keep reading, the second half of the story changes everything—not because the first half is untrue, but because it is wholly overcome by the overwhelming strength and power of the One embodied in the second half!

There is one word that speaks volumes in the last verse of the chapter: satisfy.

“With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Ps. 91:16).

My friend, God has promised you His presence. He presence provides you with salvation and security. But it also gives you a third gift that is easy to miss. If you will turn your attention from all that is set against you and fixate instead on the rest and refuge of the almighty God, His presence will also leave you fully satisfied.

And in the presence of a satisfied Jesus follower, the enemy—and all his lies and tactics—has no choice but to flee!

World

Peace Talks

Senior officials from the United States and Russia met in Saudi Arabia Tuesday to open discussions about ending the war in Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the U.S. delegation and was joined by national security advisor Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Russia was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov. The meeting marked a decided shift in the U.S. diplomatic posture toward Russia. Notably absent from the meeting was any representative from Ukraine, though U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky would be involved soon.

Analysis and eternal perspective: February 24, 2025 will mark the three year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This somber marker represents untold amounts of unnecessary suffering. The Ukrainian people have died and been displaced from their war-torn communities. The Russian people have suffered intensely, as well, and in many cases have been conscripted into service to fight a war of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s choosing.

There is no easy path to peace, but as we regularly remind ourselves as The Equipped community, we are to be about the task of fervently seeking peace (Ps. 34:14). Even so, we should be clear-eyed about the fact that a lasting peace must not reward the territorial lust of an invading power. President Putin has a long track record of taking territory by force and if the reward for invasion is territorial conquest, he will surely invade again.

We as Jesus followers should be praying for all the leaders involved in these and future peace talks. We should also be actively looking for ways to ease the pain of those who are suffering, achieve justice for the oppressed, and comfort those who are afflicted (Ps. 82:3-4, Is. 1:17).

The road ahead for both the Russian people and the Ukrainian people is uncertain. But each one is loved deeply by God, and you and I are called to pray and work for their peace and salvation.

U.S.

Mayor Under Fire

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is under fire but may soon be out from under federal prosecution, as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked for the corruption charges pending against him to be dropped. The DOJ stated the charges—which allege Adams accepted more than $100,000 in contributions and travel in exchange for influence—wrongly impeded Adams’ ability to govern and run for reelection. Several prosecutors resigned in protest of the decision, and NY Gov. Kathy Hochul is reportedly weighing whether to remove Adams from his mayoral post. The judge in the case will soon decide whether to grant the request for charges to be dropped.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Any time an elected official faces prosecution, there is great temptation to develop an opinion on the merits of the case based on your personal view of that official, or even your view of that official’s allies or adversaries. This story is riddled with those layers from all points on the political spectrum, as nearly every story about this case includes commentary about the Trump DOJ, Gov. Hochul, and the possible political motives of all involved.

To be clear, political motives certainly often play a role in decision-making, and it is prudent to be aware of the context in which things happen. However, for the rule of law and the equal application of justice to prevail, it is imperative that facts and evidence drive prosecutorial decisions. You and I can model this truth in our interactions with these stories by faithfully applying Proverbs 18:17: “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.”

None of us are innocent (Rom 3:23). But Americans, as a self-governing free people, have a sacred responsibility to lay aside partisan perspectives in favor of the equal application of the law. The alternative is equal justice for none.

U.S.

A Penny Saved

You might want to hold on to that jar of pennies on your shelf, because they may soon be a relic of the past, as U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to halt production of new pennies. It is a move that has frequently been considered in recent years, as it costs more to mint a penny than the coin is worth. Further, as prices rise and the use of cash and coinage decline, there is decreased need for the single cent denomination.

Analysis and eternal perspective: “Save your pennies!” You have likely heard the expression often, and it bears a truth found in Proverbs 13:11: “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” We as Jesus followers are instructed to be wise stewards of the resources entrusted to us—even a penny at a time! At the same time, God’s Word is full of reminders to avoid letting financial incentives drive our decision making. Hebrews 13:15 says it this way: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

The U.S. dollar has been around for 240 years—a relatively brief period of time in contrast to the broad arc of human history—and is in one sense simply the most recent in a long line of currencies. The dollar is a fiat currency in that it is no longer backed by a tangible asset—such as gold—but by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government. That said, it is the overwhelmingly dominant currency in the world, so decisions about its handling—yes, even decisions about the lowly penny—have an impact all around the world.

You, as a Jesus follower, may have an opinion about the minting of pennies. Maybe you are “pro-penny” or maybe you think it should have disappeared from circulation long ago. Either way, this story is a perfect opportunity to remind yourself that all you have comes from God and belongs to Him (Ex. 19:5, Ps 24:1, 1 Chron. 29:12). Contrary to our human instinct to hoard and protect as much as we can, it is actually an incredibly liberating way to live—fully dependent on God to provide, but also fully engaged in stewarding well all He has bestowed!

The Beautiful

Untouchable

Perspective is a beautiful thing! This week in The True, we considered the blessing of finding refuge amid a threatening world. That refuge is possible because the world that seems so large to us is nothing in God’s expanse. Even the smallest and weakest among us is untouchable if we nestle under the proper covering!