Do you ever find yourself tensing up as you go to check the news? For those with a Christian worldview, virtually every headline indicates a culture heading deeper into godlessness or a world with ever more numerous dangers. A quick survey of the headlines today turned up multiple stories about sexually explicit material being pushed in public school curricula, manifold competing headlines about rancorous debates at all levels of governments, and experts predicting that artificial intelligence will eradicate the world human population. It can be easy to become discouraged, if not demoralized and fearful.
Back in 2020, I found that the more I avoided the news, the happier I was. The more I read the news, the more upset I was.
I wonder if you can identity? Does your joy rise and fall with changes in current events? With cultural degradation, economic volatility, governmental change, and global crises, do you feel your heart sinking?
Does your joy rise and fall with changes in your personal circumstances? As your finances, health, and relationship improve, do you shine? When they fall, does your countenance as well?
We may all tend toward riding the news like a roller coaster of joy and despair, but the Scriptures suggest that the answer is not to ignore the news, find a happy distraction, or surrender to the ups and downs. Rather, we should be very careful about where we place our hope.
Psalm 112 outlines some of the many blessings of fearing or trusting in the Lord (“…Blessed is the man who fears the LORD…”, v1b.) Verse 7 is a great encouragement and instruction to those susceptible to the tyranny of the news cycle:
He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7
The first half of the verse is the “what.” The second half is the “why.”
The blessed man doesn’t fear bad news. It’s not that he believes bad news won’t come, or that he’s hopeful he’ll only hear good news. He seems to assume that eventually the bad will come. He simply isn’t afraid of it.
Why? His heart is firm. That is, his heart can’t be moved by bad news…because he trusts in the Lord. By implication, he does not trust in the news going one way or another. If he did, his heart would move with the news. That he trusts in the Lord indicates three things: (1) that his hope is in what the Lord will do; (2) that what the Lord will do is of far greater significance to him than anything else; and (3) that he knows the Lord will do it. No news—good or bad—will prevent the Lord from doing this greater, higher thing.
A simpler way to say it would be that his hope is in the accomplish of God’s good providential plan. So, he faces bad news without fear.
What is God’s good providential plan? This is a crucial question for us as we seek to enjoy this particular blessing of Psalm 112.
First, the Church will triumph. Jesus said, “I will build my church…” (Matt 16:13-20). The Lord will cause the Church to succeed in her mission to proclaim the gospel in word and deed, adding souls to her number until the last day (Rom 11:1-36; Rev 7:1-17). Therefore, we should not fear bad news.
Second, Christ will return. Jesus said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself that where I am you may be also,” (John 14:3, cf Acts 1:10-11, Rev 22:20). This reality is repeatedly mentioned in the NT as the hope of the believer enduring temporal difficulty (2 Thess 1:5-12; 2 Tim 4:8; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 John 2:28). Therefore, we should not fear bad news.
Third, suffering will end. At the return of Christ, He will judge the wicked and bring in the new heaven and earth (Rev 20-21). “He will wipe away every tear, and death shall be no more, neither shall their be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4). In that eternal state, God will dwell with us—we as His people and He with us as our God—as we enjoy Him and all the blessings in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3ff; 1 Pet 1:3-5; Rev 21:3). Therefore, we should not fear bad news.
It could be said that the way to face bad news without fear is the keep the Good News as the primary focus of our minds and hearts. Because of what Christ has done we know that He can be trusted to do what He said He will do.
May we trust in the Lord, our hearts firm, and therefore, live boldly and joyfully no matter what the news.
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