Fear

Now More Than Ever!

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom then shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 KJV

When I go for a quiet walk in the park or wade in the waves at the beach, peace seems an easy concept to get a hold of. But with our nation in crisis, and people lining up for miles just hoping for a plane ride out of Afghanistan, peace sounds more like a fairy tale than a reality. In Psalm twenty-seven, King David found himself in a similar circumstance, surrounded by an army, as powerful and deadly as the Taliban. His enemies had already wiped out nearly every man woman and child in the town of Anathoth, for simply giving him and his men a few loaves of bread and a single sword. But on that evening as David looked down at the encampment of blood thirsty men, God asked Him what he was afraid of and on David’s darkest night, the answer came. “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Why should we be afraid?” Just as in David’s day, the Lord remains our light and the only one We can depend on to help us through. Our current state of helplessness does us the favor of reminding us that He alone is true strength!

So what are you facing? What challenge is on your path this morning? God has allowed this situation. At times like these people often say, “God is still in control.”. While that of course is true, it would be even more accurate to say that, “God is more in control now than ever: because we are not!”  He wants us to see that now more than ever, He is our hope and our salvation and we don’t ever need to be afraid!

Jesus is Our Peace

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 KJV

After we received the news that my wife’s sister was given only weeks to live, I spent the night tossing and turning. It was not that I was not a Christian or that I did not know God’s promises of peace but transferring that peace from my head to my heart was something I just did not know how to do in that moment. And then Jesus came. No, I did not hear a voice or see any shining light; but suddenly I just knew that my shepherd was walking alongside me. Suddenly the rod and staff of His word comforted my heart.

“My peace I give you.” Imagine the peace which Jesus had when He slept in the storm, or when He meekly accepted arrest in the garden of Gethsemane. That is the same peace that He is now giving to you and I. We are not just getting a cheap imitation or a lower cost version. Jesus is giving us the real thing. He has promised us the exact same peace that He had with the Father. Notice also, that Jesus told us that He wasn’t giving this peace to us in the way the world gives. He won’t offer us something temporary, or ask for us to give it back. His gift is eternal and unconditional just like our salvation!

Maybe your battle is different than ours, but wherever you are He will come. He knows everything we are facing and He tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” And then His peace becomes ours!

Welcome Home

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

Even though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 ESV

During times of crisis, it is natural to be fearful. Our airwaves are filled with the constant reports of sickness, quarantines and businesses shutting down. There has never been anything like this in our lifetimes and we wonder what trouble still lies ahead; and not just for ourselves but for our children and grandchildren. But in the valley of the shadow of death we have a hope that is greater than any disease, and stronger than any hardship. We have the presence of the good shepherd; Jesus Christ; who gave His life for us.

Outside of the city where I was born there was a long valley called Sugar Hollow. It was a notch between the hills through which the main road from the South ran into the city. One interesting thing about Sugar Hollow was that as you drove into it at evening rush hour, darkness fell early. Everyone began to flick on their headlights as the shadows of the surrounding hills blocked out the sun. In the Hollow it looked as if night had fallen; but when you rounded the final bend that led out of the valley, the shadows drew back and the sun reappeared as if saying “I left the light on for you, welcome home!” 

Prayer: When fears are all around us like a deep valley help us remember Lord that You are always with us. Remind us that we can trust You to lead us through this valley and all the way home!