WATCHWORD:
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and I will surely help you. Isaiah 41:10
Meditation:
Do Not Fear
In times of change within our world, it’s easy to let fear grip our hearts and occupy our minds. What we hear on the latest news, garners anxiety and uncertainty. You know, much of it is fear of the unknown, but it fills our mind, and occupites out thoughts too much of the time. We need to remember these important truths: God is with us, God is for us, God is in charge and God loves us. His voice instructs us: Do not be afraid.
Brothers and sisters, we are not alone. When the storm rages all around us, and darkness seems to close in, he offers us peace and refuge in the midst of it. He promises us hope and strength. Proverbs 3:5 is a true watchword: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. When we trust in the Lord, fear has no place.
When grey clouds enter your life, what is God saying to you? Listen carefully, His word can come in unusual forms. In 1907, Pastor Henry Van Dyke had just finished the service at Williams College chapel. After breakfast, as he was leaving, he handed his host a scrap of paper with the words ‘Joyful, Joyful We adore Thee’, then he said, “Here is a hymn for you, your Berkshire Mountains were my inspiration. It must be sung to the music of Beethoven’s Hymn of Joy.” I believe that was God speak.
I love that hymn, the greatest thing about it is you don’t even have to sing it. It’s a prayer, and perhaps it’s one we need today: ‘Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with Your Light of day’. I’m sure that we know that true joy is only available to those in Christ because we have redemption, forgiveness for our sins and we have the hope of heaven. A life full of joy is truly an amazing one, and it will get us through this brief period of darkness. See Psalm 35:9a: My soul will rejoice in the Lord.
I challenge you to keep the words of that hymn in mind today… ‘Joyful, joyful, we adore you…fill us with Your Light of day’ and consider how has God blessed your life. I read this in Jesus Calling recently: I am taking care of you. Trust me at all times. Trust me in all circumstances. Trust me with all your heart. When you are weary and everything seems to be going wrong, you can still utter these four words: I trust You, Jesus. By doing so you release matters into My control, and you fall back into the security of My everlasting arms.
Believe it, trust it. Amen.
