Skip to main content

Tag: rest

January 22, 2025

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

As Los Angeles fires raze entire neighborhoods, the Middle East balances on a razor’s edge, Sudan’s millions face impending starvation, and America swears in a new/old president, we wonder what 2025 will bring. In the vortex of constant change we long for some sort of relief, a return to a semblance of equilibrium, a glimmer of hope for our troubled world.

As I often do I turn to the scriptures. There I find hope- “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea…Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:1,2,10).

Our hope, of course, is not in the tactical or strategic plans of governments, but in the Maker and Lord of the heavens and the earth. He has always been and will always be sovereignly in control. We can rest in Him.

I think of the song we used to sing in church when I was a boy- “In thee O Lord do I put my trust…”. If ever we needed to live those lyrics, it is today. Remarkably, as we “trust in the Lord and don’t despair” (another old lyric) our spirits are raised. Our world is a work in progress and the Architect of history is faithfully fashioning His design.

Sleep well tonight.

September 4, 2024

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

I don’t know about you but I’m more than a little tired with the glut of conspiracy theories out there. Whether about vaccines, politics, environment, or culture wars, a kind of social media swampland is incubating an ecosystem of fear. Indeed, it’s fear that fuels conspiracies. When someone with almost evangelical fervour tries to convince me of a current conspiracy I ask, “So what are you afraid of?”

When I was a teenager my dad once said to me, “Fear God and nothing else”, and then reminded me that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom”.

I was rereading the book of Isaiah recently and came across something I had highlighted in past readings, “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what it fears, or be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread” (Is. 8:12,13).

For God there are no surprises because He is omniscient. There is nothing outside of His control because He is sovereign. He can and does handle all eventualities because He is provident. He can be trusted.

Fear Him. Fear nothing else. Let your sleep be sweet.