Fear? Forget about it!

The Lord is with you.

Jesus asked his friends this question: “Why do you worry about tomorrow?” Well, most of us would respond, we have good reason to worry. The world around us is full of evil and sinful people; our planet is rocked with earthquakes and buffeted by storms of all kinds; and even in the most prosperous nations, people are hungry and malnourished.  The value of currency changes without reason; our governmental leaders can’t  get along; racism and anger rule our conversations. You see, we might answer, there are thousands of reasons for worry!

The disciples were worried as they struggled to stay afloat during a storm. They woke Jesus and begged him to do something. He did, of course — Jesus always answers our prayers and cries. Then he used the teachable moment with his disciples. “Why are you worried, oh you of little faith?”

The faith that the Holy Spirit gives us through the Word is a living relationship, a connection with the God of all creation. God has chosen to be connected with us! Our Lord has made a covenant with us: “I will be your God; you will be my people.” Because we have this connection relationship with God, we also have the promise of God’s name: I AM with you.

The apostle Paul asked: “If God is with us, whom shall we fear?” Fear focuses our attention on all the dangers and troubles that might arise. Faith has the confidence that our Lord is always with us, guarding and leading us, strengthening us for our struggles, and reminding us that we have a purpose for living and dying.

A political leader once uttered: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!” Rather than cowering from supposed threats or hiding from imagined woes, we live as the Lord’s sheepish people, rejoicing that we have a Good Shepherd.

Faith forms our foundation to fight and forget about fear.

Lord, let me cast all my cares upon You, for You care for me.  Amen!

Take some time to read these passages:  Leviticus 26:11-13; Matthew 6:25-34; Matthew 8:23-26; Romans 8:31-34.