Resting in the Everlasting Arms

Resting in the Everlasting Arms

By Pastor John Dawson

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:27

            Recently, I’ve been hearing this aphorism: History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes. The events of the last month have an eerie similarity to events from 56 years ago. In 1968, we had a very divided country, with protests that led to violence and unrest. That was the word that was used: unrest. It seems to me to be a euphemism for something that takes away, not just the peace from the streets, but the peace from the hearts of the people. Because of the protests due to the Vietnam war, racial injustice, etc., LBJ, the sitting president, announced in March that he would not seek reelection. A few days later, Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, increasing the unrest. In June, a contender for the Democrats’ nomination, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. The Democrats held their convention in Chicago in August. The heavy-handed control of Mayor Richard J Daley clashed with protesters in a way that has not been seen since. Chaos was everywhere, leading to the election of a man who had been thought to be politically finished 8 years earlier, Richard M. Nixon.

            What is happening in our time? Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. tried to run for president as a Democrat, but was boxed out of the primaries. On July 13, an assassin’s bullet struck President Trump as he spoke at a rally in Pennsylvania. Eight days later, President Biden announced that he would not seek reelection. Vice President Harris is the presumptive replacement candidate, but that is still uncertain. And now in this month, the Democrats will hold their convention in Chicago. Groups demanding Biden end aid to Israel are making noise about creating a disruptive protest at or near the convention. Again, the protests are concerning our involvement in war.   

            The situation in 1968 caused unrest in the heart. From this distance, we can analyze it without fear. But the situation that we have today causes great concern because we do not know what will happen next. Sunday July 13 was a full day: Sunday School, the morning and evening service. There were probably other things that day. At the end of the day, I was tired. Then I heard the news that Trump was shot. I felt that like a punch in the gut. Then I learned that his injury was relatively minor, though others near him were also injured and one was killed. As the whole scenario unfolded, I was dumbfounded by how ineptly security was handled. It is a vain thing to trust in men.

            It became clear that Trump’s life was spared because of several things that all happened at once. He turned his head at the right time which moved his head from the direct line of fire. The cross wind was just enough to move the bullet’s path enough to hit only his ear. My reaction to this is gratefulness to the sovereign God of the universe whose kind providence prevented a tragedy. Who knows how this country would have reacted if that bullet found its mark? It was not just Trump who (mostly) dodged a bullet, but we all did.

Donald Trump also viewed his deliverance from near death as an act of God’s kind sovereignty. How many times did I hear him say later, “I shouldn’t be here.” While my circumstance was very different, that was something that I said several times earlier that day. But God had decreed that we both were exactly where we are supposed to be. The sovereign God has decreed the same for you. Does this mean that you will be protected from disease, accident, or other hard things? Of course not. But when we see God’s remarkable hand of providence, we need to recognize it and give him thanks. When we are in rough waters, we can have peace if we rest in him. The Lord is our dwelling place. We live in his presence. And underneath all are the everlasting arms of the Almighty. Be at rest in those arms, no matter what the circumstance.

And be sure to continue to pray for our nation, the leaders the Lord has put in positions of authority, and those he will be calling into those positions.

Under the Mercy of the Lord Jesus,

Pastor John