August 9, 2026

Things that Go Bump in the Night

When our world gets scary, we long for a mighty move of God. The massive wildfires in Washington State, particularly Spokane, were difficult to watch. I’m told there were miracles and answered prayers, of course. Stories that cheered people and made us feel God’s presence. But there were sad stories, too. More than 850 homes were lost. I’ve been listening for the surprises, the people who ran to help, who fought the flames and rescued pets and people.

2026 feels challenging. Shooting incidents in Seattle, Twin Falls, Idaho and at least twelve other locations, have affected people’s sense of safety. In Twin Falls, we had heroes, people who saw the violence and used legally carried weapons to thwart the carnage. For most of us, these events result in trauma and fear.

Is there a way to navigate fear and position ourselves in faith? I think there is. The Bible has more than 2,403 direct promises to believers and hundreds more categorized by need. Detractors’ mock faith as superstition. Yet when the details from these incidents come out, I guarantee there will be many accounts of answered prayer, miracle rescues, and wonderful results where loss was expected. Not everyone will like the heroes that returned fire in Twin Falls, but they’ll have a hard job convincing the rest of us it would have been better to let him kill another ten or twelve innocent victims.

Civilized societies rely on law and order. We need jails for those who would rather steal than purchase, who beat people or shoot them over large or even small differences, who terrorize others because it makes them feel powerful. As long as we continue to let people do whatever they want, we will have tension. Imagine if we could simply take every item we’ve ever dreamed of owning, and there would be no consequences. Cultures have tried to eliminate jails and mental institutions before. It has never worked.

I am choosing to list some of the promises God made to us. When life gets scary and it is hard to imagine feeling safe again, running in a park or on a beach, remember God is still in control. He has allowed people to reap what they’ve sown before. Read these promises. Understand and support the need for law and order, and trust God that broken cultures have been fixed many times in the past.

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. Psalm 91

With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.” Psalm 91:16

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Everything Has Its Time

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; ... Ecclesiastes 3

But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. 2 Corinthians 8:7