Courage, Saints!!

Scripture: Mark 4:38, 39 (TLB) - But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

There is much, dear saints, to tempt us to fear these days.  Over the past three decades alone, we’ve no doubt heard a lot about influenza diseases, food poisonings, meningitis and measles outbreaks, Ebola virus, tuberculosis, HIV/ AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, mass food poisonings, and now, there’s the Coronavirus-- recently upgraded, as of this writing, to a “high alert” illness.

Although we are mindful of our Savior’s admonitions found in Psalm 91:2-4, 14, John 16:33,  and Luke 21:7-11, —all of which cite the perilous times that  surround humanity, and will intensify as His return draws nigh-- what should be the prevailing mindset of those who belong to Christ Jesus?  It is certainly not caving into fear!  (2 Timothy 1:7)  We have, as one commentator put it, just two options: (1) we can embrace the enemy’s (i.e. Satan’s) lies that our Savior has abandoned His care (or never did care) for us, or we can, (2), choose to keep our focus on the truth of God’s agape love, care, and matchless faithfulness to us, no matter what the latest scary headlines read!  We are called to fear neither man nor circumstances (including world pestilences), says Prov. 29:25, Matt. 24:7, 8, and Romans 8:37.

Don’t you know, brothers and sisters, that fear of circumstances and/or of people is akin to having what the Spirit calls a “hardened heart?” An unbelief in what our Great Shepherd can and will do for us puts us in the same category as God’s people who died during their exodus through the wilderness, following their deliverance from Egyptian oppression! We, too, are guilty of this when we fail to adequately grasp, understand, and acknowledge our Lord’s omnipotence in loving and caring for us, according to Mark 6:50-52 and Mark 8:17-21.   So how can we apply these Scriptural principles to what we’re all facing today?  We must remember our calling to unswervingly embrace a no-matter-what-faith/ trust.”  RESIST A STATE OF UNBELIEF!   Persevere in trust, persevere in prayer, and stay focused on the Great Shepherd and bishop of our souls!  Our faithful Savior God always honors such faith!

Prayer:  Blessed Father, You know what You’re working with, when it comes to Your blood-purchased people!  Thank You for Your indwelling Presence and continual reminders to keep us until the end!  Help us to remain focused and persevering in biblical faith, come what may!  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

(by Denise Diggs)