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:
In times like these, it is easy to let fear grip our hearts and occupy our minds. What we heard last night in the latest news, garners even more fear, if we let it. You know, much of it is fear of the unknown. That kind of fear fills our mind, 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 continues to instruct 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.
What is God saying to you and this crisis? Trust that.
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 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 the 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…’
How has God blessed your life? Are you working on that Blessings List? That is a true way to see just how God has blessed you. Okay, now, don’t keep it to yourself, let us know. What blesses you will, in turn, bless us. This space is waiting…
Closing Thought:
From Jesus Calling for this morning —
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.
