Apex Predator

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

I saw a photo of a coyote. The coyote was looking at the photographer like it wanted to eat him/her. It had a dangerous look in its eye. Predators are always on the lookout for prey.

In the air you have a variety of hawk, eagle, and owl predators. In the water you have sharks, killer whales, even a variety of bass that prey on smaller species. On land that dangerous looking coyote, wolves, bears, snakes, lions, and too many others to list. 

But the Christian has just one Apex Predator: Satan, who along with his servants wants us dead. 

Back in the 1980s-90s there was great interest in spiritual things and spiritual warfare. Frank Perretti the best selling author helped to start things off with his book “This Present Darkness”. A powerful story about spiritual warfare. Even Stephen King got things going with his self described book of dark Christianity “The Stand”. Then there were numerous shows like “Highway To Heaven” with Michael Landon. “Touched By An Angel” with Roma Downey. The famous “Left Behind” series of books by LaHaye & Jenkins. Lots of occult stuff, movies and books dealing with evil, demons, and Satan himself.

I would say at its Peak there was an almost unhealthy interest in all things supernatural. And that can be a danger, focusing more on the Supernatural realm than upon God. 

The good that came out of those decades was that Christians had a growing awareness that we need to be alert to the fact there is a spiritual realm that can help and hurt us in our lives. When you are on guard against your enemy, and at the same time understand that we have angels watching over and helping us at the Lord’s command, you are much more in tune to the dangers that are unseen. And also the importance of prayer for protection, strength, and deliverance, as well as keeping us in continual contact with Jesus.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

The Devil was not always against God and God’s people. It is hard to believe but he was at one time an angel of the highest order. He was one of the angels who had great authority in heaven. Satan was a Guardian Cherub, close to God's throne. We get a glimpse of what Satan must have been like in the Bible Book of Ezekiel.

“‘You were the seal of perfection,

    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

You were in Eden,

    the garden of God;

every precious stone adorned you:

    carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,

    topaz, onyx and jasper,

    lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.

Your settings and mountings were made of gold;

    on the day you were created they were prepared.

You were anointed as a guardian cherub,

    for so I ordained you.

You were on the holy mount of God;

    you walked among the fiery stones.

You were blameless in your ways

    from the day you were created

    till wickedness was found in you.

Through your widespread trade

    you were filled with violence,

    and you sinned.

So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,

    and I expelled you, guardian cherub,

    from among the fiery stones.

Your heart became proud

    on account of your beauty,

and you corrupted your wisdom

    because of your splendor.

So I threw you to the earth;

    I made a spectacle of you before kings.

By your many sins and dishonest trade

    you have desecrated your sanctuaries.

I made a fire come out from you,

    and it consumed you,

and I reduced you to ashes on the ground

    in the sight of all who were watching.

All the nations who knew you

    are appalled at you;

you have come to a horrible end

    and will be no more.’” Ezekiel 28:13-19

That last part is important. If Satan had a wonderful, even glamorous beginning as one of God’s top angels, he will have an infamous end. While he persecutes the Church and God’s people, he does not have unlimited power over us. And he has an expiration date.

But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:9b-10.

Nevertheless, until that end comes we have an Apex Predator that we need to be wary of and on guard against. His method of operation has never changed. He wants to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).

We have a deadly enemy that comes at us through our body, our appetites, our desires, and our straying thoughts. He will kill us if he can, or make us wish we were dead. We can never defeat him alone, but thanks be to God we are not alone, nor are we unarmed.

We must not only remain vigilant against this predator, we must be armed and ready. Putting on the full armor of God as outlined in Ephesians chapter 6.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

   And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:10-18

Believer in Christ. Stay well armed for the battles ahead. Testing and Trials come around again and again as much as we would like to avoid them. Stay strong in the Word, diligent in Prayer, stay close to Jesus. And always be aware that our Apex Predator Satan is out to destroy us.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to be wise and stay alert knowing that we have an enemy who is out to destroy us. But with Your help we will not only overcome, but have the ultimate victory! Amen.

Wasted Talent

“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. The one who had received the five talents immediately went and did business with them, and earned five more talents. In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more. But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. Matt. 25:14-18

The value of a single talent in the Bible was a huge sum of money. A talent was approximately equal to 6,000 denarii and a single denarii was a day’s wages for workers at the time.

The talent in Jesus’ parable is metaphorically something of tremendous value.

When I was very young I would hear this story being read or would read it myself in the Bible and in the back of my mind my common sense would want to excuse the guy because at least he didn’t lose or throw away the talent his master gave to him. But reading it now I realize he did something much worse than throw it away–he buried it. 

“Now the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed. And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.’ Matt. 25:24-25

The previous servants had made good use with the talents given to them by their master. They had increased, built upon what had been given them. But not the “one talent guy”. He dug a hole in the ground and buried the talent. All he had to do was take a trip to his local bank and deposit it. Just make a little interest on the money. But instead he hid it away.

“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed? Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ Matt. 25:26-28

Looking at this parable as a metaphor we could come at it from a few angles, but from my perspective I see the talent in the parable as Jesus Himself. Jesus is the priceless gift God has given to us and what we do with Jesus will determine whether we hear “good and well done faithful servant” or are rebuked and cast out for squandering the greatest gift ever given to mankind.

When the Lord is presented to us our reception and actions afterward matter. Those faithful servants took the great gift and did something with it. They varied in their outcomes but they at least had an outcome. They had something to show for a life lived after receiving the greatest gift. But not the foolish man. Taking Jesus as metaphorically being the talent this foolish man not only failed to appreciate the gift, not only failed to be seen with the gift at his local bank, he quickly buried it out of sight. He did nothing with Jesus but hide Him as if He had never been in the man’s life. He not only failed to increase what had been given to him, he left Jesus in the ground. The risen Lord was never manifested in the life of the man!

What we do with Jesus means everything. There are great ones like Billy Graham who go on to lead incredible numbers of people to Christ. There are others who work quietly but make a difference in the lives of those around them because Jesus shines through them. When you belong to the Lord you can’t help but do some good, have some increase in the blessing you have received. But never be like the fool who was presented the gift of Jesus, and instead of receiving Him and being changed, he buried and hid the most important thing in this world in the ground for no one to see. What will you do with Jesus? Are you letting others see the risen Lord in your life?

Prayer: Dear Lord, we may not always be the best servants, but help us never to be fools. Help us to let the world see You, the greatest most priceless Gift we have ever received, and transform the world around us through Your presence. Amen.

Genesis Part 2 - Humanity

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

God had done it. The Artist put upon His canvas a beautiful background of the starry heavens above, the sky, water, and ground. He filled the earth with amazing, unique, beautiful, and strange creatures to fly through the sky, swim through the waters, and tread upon the earth. But all of that beautiful backdrop was just a setting for his most amazing creation: Humanity.

Unlike all the other creatures on the earth humans would be something special. Not just amazing beings dreamt up from God’s great imagination, but something worthy of God’s companionship, friendship, creatures to walk with God Himself.

The Greek Philosophers defined the difference between humans and other creatures as mankind having a divine spark, a fragment of God. The Hebrew word for the human soul is Neshama. God breathed a part of Himself into us when we were created. Our ability to reason, comprehend, fashion and shape objects, and to become artists like the Great Artist Himself all comes from that divine spark. Though we are not God, we are godlike because He made us like Himself.

If we ever get a full revelation of the fact of our godlikeness we will have a better understanding of much of what follows in the Bible.

So God created mankind in his own image,

    in the image of God he created them;

    male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

So we have this perfect garden set within a perfect creation. Then God makes humans in His image/likeness. Everything is going very well. What happens next has been a question for theologians to debate for centuries. 

God gave humans free will. We have the ability to decide things for ourselves apart from God’s will. He could have made humans into robot-like creatures who simply did everything they were told. But He wanted beings to interact with Him, to be companions who could choose and reason. People who could decide to worship God and be part of His family.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8-9

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:15-17

All Adam and Eve had to do was take care of the Garden of Eden and enjoy being with God. The only rule they had to follow was to leave a single tree alone within the Garden of Eden.

I do not believe God was shocked when Adam and Eve ate fruit from the forbidden tree. God was “playing 3D Chess” as it were. He was many moves ahead and had already prepared for what was to come and how He would see humanity ultimately placed into a position worthy of full fellowship with Himself.

God at some distant point in the past had dealt with one rebellion already. A being called Lucifer had turned against God and led astray a number of angels in a revolt against God. (Isaiah 14:12, Revelation 12:3-4). Humanity’s rebellion against God’s law would come early and their redemption would unfold in an elaborate plan that is woven throughout the Bible and culminates in the arrival, life, death, and resurrection of God Himself on earth in the Person of Jesus. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit would work to save humanity from the fate of an ultimate death and separation from the Creator.

Something I want to touch on regarding our likeness to God is how closely it is connected to God’s anger, His great wrath toward sin. There are sins we commit against God personally, acts of rebellion, misusing His Name, and acting in an ungodly manner. But God is equally as angry toward the sins we commit against each other.

When we sin against each other, mistreat or abuse each other in numerous ways, we are hurting a godlike being. God takes such actions personally. Because we are made in God’s image our sins are an insult to God’s holiness and perfection. God did not create us to wallow in filth like hogs, or to maim and kill each other. Such actions bring on God’s wrath and judgment.

 

Jesus came to earth to free us of our tendency to sin. Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice to re-establish the relationship we had with God in the Garden of Eden. And to move beyond that early stage of humanity to become members of God’s family through a new relationship, a Covenant between ourselves and God made through our acceptance of Jesus as the atonement for our sinfulness.

God the Creator of everything made mankind to join Him in the heavenly realm. It began on earth as an elaborate plan that would unfold over thousands of years. God had this story written in His mind before the first page of Genesis was ever recorded. He knew what He was doing. Our Sovereign God in His kindness and mercy not only made us, He wants us to be with Him in an eternal Holy relationship. God made us to be like Him and with Him forever. No wonder we praise, worship, and love our Lord.

Prayer: dear Lord, in Your amazing grace you created humanity knowing we would be weak and sinful, and yet You chose us to become like You and to dwell with You forever. Thank You for Your Love and Mercy which is beyond our full comprehension. Bless You Lord, we will praise You eternally. Amen.

Genesis Part 1 - Creation

 Genesis Part 1 - Creation

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Years ago God pressed me to watch a documentary by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Now I would just about rather go to the dentist than sit through a long-winded documentary by a blowhard atheist or agnostic that works hard at pushing science above the God that made heaven and earth. To say such people are fools is not name calling, it’s the title God gives them:

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. Psalm 14:1

Yet, since I felt God nudging me to do so I watched the show. As expected, Mr. deGrasse had very strong arguments and reasoning that “sounded” smart and convincing. Yet I knew the Who and Why of God’s Creation. I have been reading my Bible since boyhood. And I had my own way of reasoning outside of Mr. deGrasse and his high-sounding arguments.

Intuition. Common Sense. Experience. Intuition can be something that arises from our common humanity. A sixth sense that can warn us of unseen danger, or drives our convictions and beliefs. Intuition can, and often does, come from God through the Holy Spirit. And the longer you live as a Christian in fellowship with God the stronger that heavenly Intuition becomes in your life. 

Then we have Common Sense. Common Sense is the simple logic of the obvious. A complex creation must have a complex Creator. When too many so-called accidents do not add up, then you look for a more obvious explanation. For instance, even hearing and vision involve complex systems tied together in both humans and animals to work properly. How many “endless accidents” are necessary to make even one of those things work correctly? I have long thought that it takes far more “faith” to believe in a creator-less evolution than an Intelligent Creator. My Common Sense defies a godless creation. It is simply unreasonable. While I believe it is possible God used Evolution in the process of creation, I do not think it was necessary that God needed such a process. God has the power to make anything and everything in ways we still cannot fully comprehend. 

When we see a hawk or eagle fly overhead, watch a deer moving gracefully along a fence line, or step outside on a cold winter’s night and see the stars gleaming like diamonds across the night sky–in the depths of our souls we know there was a Maker for all that’s made. This involves both Intuition and Common Sense.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:19-20

When God had Moses write down the book of Genesis the explanation of creation was geared toward all of humanity. From the simple shepherd and dirt farmer thousands of years ago to modern humans today. God kept Genesis simple on purpose. He could have defined physics, geology, microbiology, mathematics, etc., in the Book of Genesis, but that was not its purpose. We are given the basics of creation and then the Bible moves quickly into the purpose of creation–us.

The creation reveals a Creator. Pagans saw the creation and rather than understanding the creation was the canvas that God painted upon revealing something of Himself, our pagan ancestors created gods in the image of the creations, animals, reptiles, birds, etc. Today, those who deny God have set up new gods of Science and Knowledge reveling in their pride rather than humbly acknowledging the God who made them. Scientists of all types who refute and reject God carefully study what He has made and are without excuse for their unbelief. Of course some scientists are Christians and they are doubly blessed because they get to study the mysteries of how God created things while fully appreciating that He is the God who mastered nature.

My third tier in ways of knowing is Experience. For a Christian like myself who has lived on this earth over sixty years Experience plays a big part in how we believe and why we believe in God. There was a man not long ago talking to me about preachers. He was not a believer and was expounding upon the fact that he had never seen a miracle, implying that God must not be real any more than miracles are real. He paused, expecting my agreement. Instead, I told him I had seen God do miracles.  I launched into just some of the miracles I had seen God do in my life to his astonishment. I have too much experience at seeing God work in my life and the lives of others to be an unbeliever. I have both seen and believe. But the fact is when you start down this path of faith in God, Experience comes after that initial Intuition, faith, that God is, and the Common Sense that we are not a freak of nature but created beings made by a Creator.

The Creation, the universe, planets, water, sea creatures, plant life, birds and mammals, these preceded us. Yet they were merely the groundwork for the pinnacle of God’s creation with a plan in motion that would only fully be revealed over millennia.

Prayer: Dear Lord, as we study and learn more about Your creation and its process help us to handle such knowledge with humility. For it is with humility and awe that Your beautiful artwork should be experienced. Thank you for everything in the heavens and on earth that you made for us! Amen.

Getting Real About Religion

He has told you, O man, what is good;

    and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

    and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

I think for many of those outside of the Church looking in that Christians must seem very strange creatures. In one sense, outsiders sometimes think that we are those who “have it all together”. No longer sinners, but Saints. Yet in another sense, too often they see that we Christians not only “don’t have it all together”, we are sinners just like everyone else.

At times we Christians like to pretend to have it together when in fact the big difference between us and everyone else is that We Are Still Sinners, but We Are Saved By Grace. The difference between unbelievers and believers is that we Christians have put our hope in Jesus.

Smart Christians not only know they need God’s Mercy and Grace on a daily basis, they admit they have weaknesses, and with God’s help struggle to do better.

I know my own faults well. And they keep me more humble than I would be otherwise. I have a fiery temper. Always have. Along with it I have a sharp tongue. I mastered the art of cussing at a young age and still struggle with that habit. I can go weeks with hardly a bad word leaving my lips, but give me a rough week and a short fuse and we’re off to the races. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to pray about that.

There is a saying: If you think I’m bad now, you should have seen me before I became a Christian.

I became a Christian at a young age. But ours was not a religious home. Mom insisted we go to church so we could make up our own mind about God. We lived in a trailer park that was not the holiest place on earth. There was a guy who sold marijuana two trailers to our right. At the far end of the park lived several guys in a biker gang. Cussing, smoking, drinking, and drug use were regular occurrences in our neighborhood. Then there was a gay married couple (one guy wore a dress and pretended to be a woman during the ceremony. This was long before gay marriage) living across the road three trailers down. 

I remember once I asked the neighbor lady who would cut my hair to do my makeup as a character from the KISS rock band for a church halloween party. She got the gay guy who lived next to her to do my makeup. I was probably around fourteen years old at the time. Thinking about it today the irony is not lost on me: a gay guy puts makeup on the Christian kid to attend a church party. That’s enough to make some Christian heads explode.

I wrestled with God through my teenage years even as a believer. I didn’t really begin to get my act together until I was around twenty years old. I was still a Christian through those rough years with my teenage angst, but there was not a lot of fruit to show for it. Thankfully, we have a merciful loving Lord who is patient with us all.

There has always been pressure on Christians to act like they are better than they really are, especially in church and around other believers. Even when the truth is we are all far from perfect. We must walk a narrow road of standing with God and His Word when it comes to sin, and yet not lose sight of the fact none of us has fully reached that perfection on this side of heaven. How could we? We live in a sin sick world and are “housed” in a body affected by sin. 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

None of this means we should not strive, with God’s help, to be better than we are on this earth. Indeed, We all need to grow up into the faith, that’s why scripture admonishes us to do better.

A few years ago I was in the McDonald’s drive-through. It’s a two lane situation and I had given my order and started to move up from my lane. The car in the lane next to me leapt forward and the driver ‘went off on me’. For several seconds I was ready to jump out of the car and let him know who was the first in line. I learned from a young age after being bullied that my response would no longer be “flight” but always “fight”. And that’s how I reacted. Somehow,  by God’s grace, I reigned in my temper and settled down. A little later, thinking it over, I started to laugh about the situation. Imagine a Christian in his fifties jumping out of his car at a McDonald’s drive-through and getting into a fist fight over who should get their Big Mac first. Like I said earlier: You should have seen me before I became a Christian.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we fail in many ways. Never let us lose sight of the importance of humility, and the amazing grace and mercy You have shown to us all. Amen.

God Disciplines His Own

 God Disciplines His Own

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Hebrews 12:5b-6

Guys are sometimes jerks and like to give each other a hard time. That was what we were doing to a football player in our Autobody class at the vocational school during our senior year. Someone had come up with a lie trying to pull one over on the guy and I stupidly joined in. As we were trying to convince him of the lie I was shocked to hear the words said to convince him: “I swear to God”. They came out of my mouth. As a Christian there are a number of things you don’t do, and that was one of them.

A few hours later we were crowding the guy still giving him a hard time. There were three or four of us aggravating him when he drew back and threw a punch that landed square on my mouth. I didn’t hit him back. I knew instantly what had happened. God used that guy to teach me a lesson I should have already known. You don’t lie, and you never back that lie up by using an oath in God’s Name. I would add–and don’t give a football player a hard time.

I’ve been corrected by God a few times in my life. It is never pleasant. You don’t want to go through it. But we all sin and fall short of God’s glory, even those who are Christians. This side of heaven we are never free of the influence of the world, those around us, and our own human weaknesses. 

It is better to be corrected by God as His children than to be outside of His grace and mercy. There is no doubt God blesses and favors His children, but He also disciplines and corrects us. While not pleasant, His discipline shows that He cares about how we behave on this earth.

 It is a good idea to be aware of our weaknesses and faults and to stay on guard and wary of them. First we must be honest about our shortcomings. I know mine well. I try very hard to keep them in mind and avoid letting them get the best of me. We need God’s help to avoid sin. By relying upon God we make it less likely we will need correction, and hopefully over time our failings become less and less.

We have a loving Father who cares about us so much that He corrects us when we get off of course in our lives. Though discipline is unpleasant, the end result is beneficial.

Have you ever been corrected by God?

Can Psalm 112 Drive Away Anxiety And Fear?

Praise the Lord.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord,

    who find great delight in his commands. Psalm 112:1

At the beginning of Psalm 112 God lays the groundwork for those who will be able to face even terrible fear and anxiety with faith and courage. Clearly God is marking out those who are His own. When you have a relationship with God you have an incredibly strong foundation to stand upon. It might seem strange that a verse helping you to overcome fear and anxiety begins with the fear of God. But we should take courage in our fear and reverence of God because when you fear God–you have nothing else to fear. Once you are in a reverent relationship with God, you are a child of the most powerful Being in the universe.  He has promised to help you. No terrible situation or event that you face can overcome Him.

Their children will be mighty in the land;

    the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches are in their houses,

    and their righteousness endures forever.

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,

    who conduct their affairs with justice. Psalm 112:2-5

Being in a relationship with God changes us and prepares us to face life’s challenging events. Whether a sudden death in the family, terrible medical diagnosis, or looming financial disaster–no matter the situation–a believer can depend upon Jesus and His promises. Standing strong on His word empowers us with the faith we need in anxious situations. And frankly, it makes us better human beings.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken;

    they will be remembered forever.

They will have no fear of bad news;

    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;

    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. Psalm 112:6-8

Anxiety can come from fear that takes root and grows. It creates strongholds in our minds that grow so large we can lose sight of God. But if on the other hand we set down deep roots in God, placing our faith in Him and growing in wisdom because of our fear and respect for God (Psalm 111:10) we will be well armed in our battle with anxiety. And we will not be fighting alone.

Through faith and confidence in God our enemy anxiety will lose its hold over us. Our fears will melt away under the fiery light of God’s promise to protect and deliver us.

They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,

    their righteousness endures forever;

their horn will be lifted high in honor.

The wicked will see and be vexed,

    they will gnash their teeth and waste away;

    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing. Psalm 112:9-12

Fear attacks us all from one corner or another. Yet the person who trusts in God can stand strong in the most fearful of situations, not because they feel like it, but because they have a trust in God greater than any fear that attacks and brings on a state of anxiety.

Prayer: Dear Lord, anxiety often tries to steal away our courage and trust in You. Help us to hold fast to a faith that delivers us from fear and anxiety. For You are our Defender and Deliverer. Thank You Jesus! Amen.