As I thought about last week’s TGIF message, I realized that I have some “fear” of the future, mainly for my children, grandchildren, and their children and grandchildren. That “fear” is stoked by the thoughts I expressed last week which I think also indicates many people, including Christians, have some “fear” for the future.
The other point I want to share, which I have shared previously with you, is how God always leads me to the right message for the week at just the right time. That happened for me this past Monday morning as I read my daily devotional to begin my day. I need to thank my dear Christian friend Rose Morgan for providing me with my latest devotional, titled Grace For The Moment, authored by Max Lucado. Max also authored a new devotional last year titled Calm Moments For Anxious Days that I heavily leaned on for support for my messages last year.
The title of that September 9 devotional was Fear and Faith, and Max’s message was the perfect lead-in to this week’s TGIF message! That message stated:
Great acts of faith are seldom born out of calm calculation. It wasn’t logic that caused Moses to raise his staff on the bank of the Red Sea (please read Exodus 14:21-31) for this faithful answer).
It wasn’t medical research that convinced Naaman to dip seven times in the river (please read 2 Kings 5:1-14 for this faithful answer).
It wasn’t common sense that caused Paul to abandon the Law and embrace grace (please read Acts 9:1-18 for this faithful answer).
And it wasn’t a confident committee that prayed in a small room in Jerusalem for Peter’s release from prison). It was a fearful, desperate band of backed-into-a-corner believers. It was a church with no options. A congregation of have-nots pleading for help (please read Acts 12:1-11 for this faithful answer).
And never were they stronger.
At the beginning of every act of faith, there is often a seed of fear.
Each of the devotionals in this book end with a summary statement. This particular devotional ends with In the Eye of the Storm. Do you feel like life is sometimes becoming a continuous storm?
Proverbs 16:1-4 – The plans of the heart belong to a person, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2 All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight, but the Lord examines the motives. 3 Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established. 4 The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Are you fearful today? Do you believe there is little chance “we” can fix things or make them better than they are now? There is no doubt that “we” cannot make things better by ourselves, because we are all flawed human beings. However, we do have a source of hope for our future, including our eternal future. That is the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives, for us to seek and find and share with others all around us – to share the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ being alive and within each of our hearts, if only we seek Him and ask for His forgiveness and presence in our lives. He is our hope for the future, regardless of man’s actions here on earth!
Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Romans 15:13 – Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Next week Cindy and I will be in Washington DC visiting our family there, so I will not be sharing a TGIF message next Friday.