B OK 4 Y2K (2)

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (KJV)

Fear of time passing is not new. During the Middle Ages, when the year rolled over from 999 to 1000, there was a lot of superstition that resulted in panic and the expectation that the world was ending. As our calendar moves to the year 2000, there is still a lot of superstitious behaviour that arises from ignorance of the problem. For example, some people think that their cars or appliances won't work after 1999. You can test anything you're in doubt about by unplugging it, removing any backup batteries, plugging it in and replacing the batteries. If it works, it will work after 1999. If you have to set the date for it to work properly, set it for 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31, 1999, and see what happens. Most things in our homes work without dates at all.

The real issue about Y2K is that the real problems are hidden from us and are out of our control. We may not understand the depth of the technical issues, nor can we do very much about them, so we have that nagging sense of helplessness that results in fear and worry. But, folks, life has always been out of our control. We may have thought that we were making decisions that were effective in keeping control of our life, but who can control strokes, heart attacks, cancer, economic downturns, robberies, or car accidents? It is just an illusion that we are in total control of our life. However, it is not an illusion that God is in total control of the events that impact us. That's why we can trust Him implicitly to look after us, come what may. The Y2K crisis has not caught Him by surprise. He is working out His plan through it. If we accept the truth of today's scripture, then we understand that worry is simply a temptation to believe that God is not in control, because fear does not come from God.

Prayer: Lord God, whatever our worry today, help us, when tempted to fret, simply to remember to say to You, "Thank You that You have all this under Your control, and that You have not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Amen.

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