Don't be afraid of life's problems.

​8-13-23
Don’t be afraid of life’s problems
Today’s devotion is based on Matthew 14:27, “But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’”
What impacted me most in today’s Scripture text were Jesus’ words, ‘Don’t be afraid.’ Researching how many times the statement to not fear is expressed throughout the Bible, the first answer I googled was 365 times. Wow! We are consoled 365 times by our loving God, saying we need not be afraid. That’s once for each and every day of the year!
May our hearts and minds receive the comfort of these words today and every day – these words offered to us by Christ himself, written for our consolation and reiterated many times throughout the Bible: ‘Don’t be afraid’, ‘ … have no fear’, ‘… do not be alarmed’, ‘Take courage.’ Trust and believe in his promise of peace: a peace that the world simply can never give. Might you share this message of hope with others?
Please pray with me: Lord, thank you for telling us we can take courage when confronted with life’s difficulties. Help us trust in you and not our own understanding. Reassure us daily to build our trust through the devotion of your holy word, and give us the gift of peace through your comforting promise that we need not be afraid. Amen.